“I don’t eat much but still not losing weight. I think even water is adding up to my weight. Please make me a diet chart. “

Or.

 “I have high uric acid, can I eat cauliflower?”

If you are a nutritionist/dietitian or even a first-year nutrition student, you must be facing these random questions daily. Right? My friend, the life of a nutritionist is not easy. Making calculations for a doable diet plan, then seeing no match between actual intake and prescribed diet and still keeping a professional smile on – is NOT easy.

Since it‘s a new year, diet resolutions are being made by many– no sugar/ no carb/ no gluten/ no lactose/high fat/ high protein, etc. It’s “amusing” to see them dissolved in front of a pizza /ice cream or brownie by the 2nd or 3rd week of January. No, resolutions are not made for the weak hearts. You need determination, strong willpower and of course a blocked nose to ignore all sorts of delicious junk diversions.

After writing 100 evidence-based nutrition blogs in 2019 on Wellness Munch, we thought to start this new decade with a candid article on the dieter’s behavior that we see quite often. Check out which category you fall in.

Type of dieter’s behavior

1. The “Super Serious” Dieters – 

They are a strong heart, mostly eat to live. They follow every single word mentioned in diet and rarely go wrong. Most of the time “super serious” dieters become so obsessed with a diet that sometimes they fail to enjoy the fun of eating. Yes, they are rare in number if not in the show business.

2.The “Distracted” Dieters –

Their life is like –

• I will lose weight.
• Gym membership – Done
• Gym gear(clothes/ shoe/bag/ sipper) – Purchased
• Diet chart – Ready
• Progress report for gym and diet – After a week; Not getting the time/ Too busy
• I want to lose weight……

Sound familiar? Yes, they are big in number. They get excited with every new trend of diet – be it keto/ vegan/paleo/ Mediterranean diet or even with intermittent fasting but can’t stick to one more than 2 weeks. No doubt they are the weak heart, can’t resist the calling of mouth-watering junk. They often give excuse like “not getting time” to drink water (which take 30 seconds), to exercise (enough if done for 10- 30 minutes), to sleep (as was on social media till 1 am), to eat fresh fruit (take 3-4 minutes) but have ample time to munch on chips/ biscuits.

3.The “I know” Dieters –

They are the so-called learned group who keep themselves updated with present trends and information but fail to practice them in daily life. So when they get a diet plan, start doubting every planned meal.

For example, often the quires come like – why so many carbs? Why not high protein? Why oil? Why milk products? Why not protein powder? Why not intermittent fasting? etc. Result? An “I know” dieter ends up following his diet which may have very little similarities with the prescribed one.

4. The “Foodie” Dieters –

 This group of people is live to eat and proudly announce that everywhere. The “foodie” dieters are generally conscious about food quality but struggle to control the quantity and frequency of food. If middle-aged, mostly start their day with a box of medicines and the number keeps growing with every birthday.

Any conversation related to a “healthy diet” is like a joke to them. It’s needless to say that they never gel well with nutritionists. Undoubtedly we are the “villain” in their life who may frequently poison their family members with dietary advice. They keep throwing “sarcasm” on a healthy diet until their body refuses to handle the nutritional insult in the form of untimely binge.

5. The “Fancy” Dieters – 

They have a strong affinity towards a fancy diet. They are the ones who always look for a special diet. For example – even before reaching the “plateau” in the course of weight loss journey, they demand a “plateau breaking diet”. They get excited about an unconventional diet with special food items that are either expensive or hard to get. Therefore avocado, kiwi, black rice, red rice, broccoli, cauliflower rice, quinoa, etc are way more appealing to them than mango, banana, guava, coconut, sugar cane, ridge gourd, white rice or millets.

6. The “Silent” Dieters–

They are smart who keep updated knowledge and practice the recommendation as per their convenience. They don’t announce their goal but work silently following smart eating tips. The “silent” dieters enjoy food but keep headstrong with non-negotiable aspects of the daily diet.

What to do?

Every family has different eating habits. No matter how busy you are, follow the rule of five every single day for being fitter and disease-free in 2020.

Rule 1 – Drink 8-10 glasses of water to detoxify your body

Rule 2 – Cut all sorts of packaged and processed foods and start eating fresh homemade foods. 70% of your problem will be fixed.

Rule 3– Activity and exercise are not options both are equally important. Even a 10 minutes workout session can make a huge difference.

Rule 4– Sleep well, sleep deep to rejuvenate your body

Rule 5– keep your stress under control. Develop a hobby.

It’s your body, your life. You must plan your time to follow these non-negotiable.

Is it a bad idea to follow a “diet”?

You are on a “diet” from the day you were born. What you need is to follow a “healthy diet”. If you are running after a short term diet (keto diet/high protein diet) it may not be a good idea. Understand that every fancy diet creates a nutritional imbalance to give you a short term result. It causes damage to your body in the long run. (1, 2, 3)

Stop copying the diet of your favorite actor or sportsperson. Their dedication, lifestyle, requirement, work routine is way different from yours. Don’t forget they have a dedicated team to make them look the way their career demands.

If you are a common person not related to show business, you must adopt a balanced sustainable diet that has no expiry date.

Is it a crime to be “foodie”?

Not at all. Be choosy about the food quality. The calorie you are going to consume should be worth it. You must enjoy food but keeping the quantity in control. Eat slowly. Appreciate the taste and follow all the 5 thumb rules of the diet. You will be fine.

How about getting a customized diet plan?

Don’t ask for a diet chart just like that. It takes time and energy to plan a good diet even if it looks very simple. Respect that. When you are sure and determined enough only then visit an expert.

Look for a qualified nutritionist/dietitian. Don’t get attracted by the glamour of some pseudo expert or “influencer” who might have lost 30 kg in 2 months.

Stick to the plan provided to you for at least 2 months to see the result. Yes, it might sound too time taking but you must allow that much of time to your body to bring a sustainable change without causing any internal damage. Have faith on your expert as she has spent at least 5-8 years studying nutrition. Think about it and act.