A ten-year study involving around 5,000 young people found that those who managed their weight best practically didn't follow any diet. Find out what helped them lose weight and what caused them to gain it.
Over the past decade, a team of Finnish scientists studied and monitored the weight management habits of over 4,500 people in their 20s. They found that, on average, about a quarter of the young men and women participating in the study maintained their weight over 10 years. A significantly smaller percentage (3.8% of men, 7.5% of women) lost weight. Those who lost or maintained their weight shared two common traits: they never skipped meals and never followed a diet.
Conversely, the biggest factors associated with weight gain among women were those who had two or more children, consumed high-sugar foods, skipped meals, and were dissatisfied with their lives. Young men who gained weight also skipped meals, had periods of dieting, and smoked.
How to eat healthy without dieting
One increasingly popular alternative to traditional dieting is the "flexible dieting" method, also known as "If It Fits Your Macros" or "IIFYM". The idea behind this approach is to eat foods that help you meet your daily nutritional goals (macros) but by consuming a much wider variety of foods, so that your body doesn't get used to it and you don't get bored eating the same thing, and so that you don't feel like you're on a diet.
If eating food regularly is a challenge for you, this can help you understand what kind of personality you are. Are you a "habitual light-eater," an "insatiable eater," or a "professional grazer" (Professional grazers are people who never eat a full meal but constantly snack). The more you know which type you are, the better you can adapt to it and eat accordingly to get the calories and macronutrients you need.
Get the basic facts – and some delicious recipes.
The foundation of any successful nutrition plan is understanding how many calories you need to consume each day and what the ideal ratio between macronutrients (fats, proteins, and carbohydrates) is. Order a meal plan, and we'll do that for you! There are countless recipes on the internet for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even healthy snacks or desserts, so don't be lazy and start today!
