50+ Lifestyles

Which Diet is for You?

By Logan Anderson, BA, CPT, CIFT
Owner of All Strong Fitness LLC

The term “diet” is thrown around very loosely, and often has a negative connotation to it. The fact of the matter is that everyone is on a diet. Whether or not your diet is healthy is usually what people think of when the term diet is brought up. With that said, I don’t really like using the term diet very much. As I mentioned, it often has a negative connotation attached to it, and makes people think that what they are doing is hard, or that they are suffering for the sake of being in good health. The truth is, your diet should be something that is sustainable, balanced, and enjoyable for you. We are going to talk a little more in depth on what this may look like in the article ahead.

Opening up the newspaper, you will see numerous different celebrities who swear by a certain diet to get their fitness results. You may even see people selling out completely and even saying that certain products helped to make them healthier and look better. Unfortunately this causes confusion for everyone, because these individuals are often seen as a pinnacle of society that people listen to. What these individuals fail to tell you is that their diets are probably very similar in nature. They probably consist of eating lots of fruits and vegetables, limiting their sugar and alcohol, and consuming lean protein. No special pills, no special gimmicks, just a simple, balanced diet. Well that’s great that their diet works for them, but what about you?

When it comes to finding your ideal diet, the key is to not focus on eliminating complete food groups or labeling food as good or bad. This messes with your mind and makes you want those “bad” foods even more, which could lead to binging on them. Eliminating food groups can offer a significant reduction in nutrients being intaken by the individual. Your diet should ideally consist of all of the food groups, allowing various different nutrients to be taken in by yourself. In addition, your diet should consist of not overindulging on overall quantity as well. Your diet should also allow yourself to be flexible and have treats, and understand that enjoying these are part of life. Notice that these recommendations are very broad? That’s how they should be. Your diet should be custom catered to yourself, in a way that can be sustained for the rest of your life. Don’t pick a low carb diet, if you love carbs. Don’t pick a vegetarian diet if you enjoy meat. The name of the game is enjoying your diet, and finding something that doesn’t feel restrictive. Remember, if it feels restrictive, you won’t be able to stick to it. If you won’t stick to it, you can’t reap the long lasting benefits of eating a proper diet!

For more information please contact Logan Anderson, owner of All Strong Fitness LLC. He can be reached at (563) 210-3701 or by email: allstrongfitnessllc@gmail.com.