How Long Should I Diet?

"How long should I diet?"

The first thing people tend to ask me when we set out their meal plan is "how long should I diet?" Notice I used the word meal plan and not diet. I really want to get away from the term diet it scares so many people off and that's the last thing I am trying to accomplish.

So it's 12am and you just finished a great episode of survivor man and here comes the ad for the P90x. It sounds so great and in just 90 days I can be ripped like the sweaty chiseled dude who was 50lbs over weight only 90 days earlier. With this program I can get in the best shape of my life and fast! Awesome! Where do I sign up? Why does it seem with every infomercial, or magazine ad and even on the Internet we get bombarded with some sort of lose weight fast. scheme.

Let me be realistic here for a minute and without destroying your hopes and dreams of being ripped in 90 days or less. My goal is to actually do the opposite, motivate you so you know the work and effort that goes into this weight loss "lifestyle".

What exactly does it mean to be on a diet? What does it entail? How would you feel if I told you that you are already on a diet. That's right, our diet is basically the food we eat everyday and our eating habits. We are either on a "good diet" full of healthy dark greens, white meats and omegas or we are on a "bad diet" with all the good stuff like pizza, twinkies and burrito boys. Do you eat regular meals? Are you in a rush and miss breakfast regularly? Or did you binge and decide it's ok to skip a meal or two? All are bad ideas.

You know your body so listen to it. First we need to eat more smaller meals. Don't starve yourself and eat when your stomach is growling but take your time. How many times did your mom tell you to chew your food? Well there was a lot of importance to that so mom, you were right. Our saliva isn't just for lubricating the food we eat. Saliva contains enzymes that contribute to the chemical process of digestion. On top of this the first stage of fat digestion also occurs in the mouth with the secretion of the enzyme lingual lipase by glands that are located under the tongue. Your brain will also process that you are full and instead of having that stuffed feeling you and your body will be satisfied.

So we all want results now! We want them fast, long lasting and specific. The bottom line is you have to change your eating habits especially if you want these quick and noticeable results. All this takes a ton of discipline and will power. I used to always tell people about the 3 D's, dedication, discipline and desire. You have to want it.

Whatever we do, it must be because we WANT to do it, and not because we HAVE to. There are many reasons to start a "diet" like health reasons, to lose some weight, heart problems, or maybe all this is just to gain some self confidence. The point I'm trying to make is that we need to get to the point of really wanting to do this. If you decide to partake because you have to you are in for a long and painful battle that will result in nothing but the opposite of what we set out for. It will all just become a burden.

Fitness and nutrition needs to be perceived as fun and games or we subconsciously avoid it. If we are doing this because we want to, it will become fun and an addiction. At that point we can really develop good lifelong habits that are enjoyable and will last.

So back to the question: "How long should I diet?"

Your diet should become a lifelong habit. Developing healthy eating habits is what it is all about. How long it will take you, will be different for every person. It all depends on your metabolism, and how your body responds to different foods. We then throw in some exercise developing a healthy lifestyle, and you should e seeing some results fairly quick.

Do not rush in and overdo it. Know what your body is telling you. You will know what is too little and what is too much. Just like building the foundation in the beginning of periodization, start slowly. If you rush in you are going to not build the proper foundation for proper eating habits. Remember to not punish yourself, you deserve only the best.

Be safe, don't rush it and enjoy your workouts.

JJ Confalone