Do you know the difference between dieting and a lifestyle change?

The biggest difference between the two is that dieting is a short term process and a lifestyle change is long term. Although different, dieting and lifestyle changes have a common ground. Purpose. Purpose is the strength behind any goal and is tremendously important as it helps you remain focused, cognitive and true to your goals. No matter what an individual’s reason is for choosing to diet or focus on long term lifestyle change, the most important thing to know is that there is a difference.

Many people misconceive the true purpose of dieting. Dieting is the short term change to eating habits for the goal result of weight loss. Many traditional diets often reduce the number of calories, reduce/eliminate certain food groups and often deprive the body of certain nutrients detrimental to one’s health. With that being said, there is a greater chance of returning to previous eating habits and possibly gaining more weight. For example, a popular diet, known as the “Atkins” diet, says to cut out carbohydrates and only consume protein and fat. The problem with this concept is that carbohydrates play a number of significant roles in the human body. Carbs are the fuel your body needs in order for your brain, kidneys, heart muscles, and central nervous system to efficiently function. Most importantly, carbohydrates are essential for keeping your blood cholesterol levels in check. Having too high of cholesterol can lead to heart disease or a stroke. This is why dieting suits the short term and is not realistic for a long-term lifestyle change.

There are many different purposes for those committing to a lifestyle change. This is considered to be the many changes an individual makes to their lifestyle for the sake of the long term goals in life. These goals can range anywhere from diet, exercise, reading, goal setting to meditation. These changes are different for everyone due to their purpose for a lifestyle change, but are absolutely beneficial for the longevity of life as they may ease daily stress. The most important part of a lifestyle change is that there is purpose behind it because it can increase the chances of not giving up when life gets hard. The purpose can be more of a help to keep motivated with a positive mental attitude. Along with purpose, it is best to have a support group to be there along the way. Whether the support is through a friend, family member, or someone who shares a similar interest/goal, this will be very helpful to success.

In conclusion, there is a difference between dieting and lifestyle change. Dieting is not bad, but is only meant for short term purposes and should be chosen based on your health and overall goals. Lifestyle change is concentrated on the big picture of life. Whether you are considering a diet or thinking of lifestyle change you need to find purpose and support in either one to increase your chance of success.