We’ve cooked for many different diets throughout the years. Every year there’s a new trendy way to lose weight or eat healthy. This blog post is not designed to tell you what diet to choose….more so, offer our real world experience on cooking for people who are dieting. What works? What doesn’t? What does success look like and how do people get to that point? A real world insight to everything we know…
Which Diets Work?
A challenging question. With the obvious assumption that everyone is different, let’s discuss which diets I’ve seen work first hand. I define “work” as one that can be maintained for more than a month and did not make my clients miserable.
Ketogenic
I’ve had a number of clients go on Keto. While it seems to be the “flavor of the week” with dieting trends, it appears to actually work. The general summary: high protein, high fat, very low carb. The goal being to achieve ketosis where your body burns fat, instead of carbs, for energy. When it comes to cooking, this is a fun diet. Higher fat means plenty of cheese, cream, butter, mmmm….
Advice for success: Those who can make it past the 1 week mark, and get past the crummy low-carb feeling will be riding high in the long run. That first period is the hardest. I suppose if you’re addicted to baked goods or sweets than that’s another layer.
Thinking of trying Keto. Don’t rely solely on the cooking experts. Read a full description of the diet here to make the right decision.
Mediterranean Diet
One of the more exciting ones to cook for as the ingredients are super versatile and delicious. Based off the eating habits of the region in the 1960s, this diet is great for heart healthy seekers. Limiting red meat intake and focusing on fresh fruits and veggies will always be beneficial, but I’ve found that this diet works because it doesn’t eliminate most common foods.
Advice for success: You need to tolerate fish and shellfish for this diet to work. If not, then 75% of this diet will likely be vegetarian.
Read more about the Mediterranean Diet here to make an informed decision for yourself.
Vegetarian
There are plenty of benefits to giving up meat. First and foremost is energy. If you do a vegetarian meal plan properly, your energy levels will increase overnight. Second, rarely will you have to loosen the belt strap after a meal because you feel like you ate too much….a very satisfying feeling. Weight loss, mood increase, and overall health will certainly be present as well…..trust me.
Advice for success: As stated in the beginning, you need to mentally commit yourself before starting. Failure has always come when a client says “let’s do vegetarian this week I need to lose some weight”. A good starting point will be to have vegetarian meals 50% of the time, see how you respond, and go from there. Also…don’t be afraid of tofu!
A thorough explanation of everything vegetarian can be found here.
What does is take to be successful?
Keep in mind all of this information is purely from what we’ve seen from our clients. Some have been following a good diet plan for months or even years. Others were motivated for 2 weeks and fell off the wagon. Those who truly are successful have the same traits:
Mental Fortitude Turned Into Routine: Everybody who’s thinking about dieting has been motivated in someway. You saw a picture of yourself you didn’t like; Your doctor told you; You watched some documentary that really intrigued you……
Those who stuck with it for the long term and saw results were able to turn that motivation into daily routine. With dieting, that 100% falls to your meal prepping. Consistent meal prepping that fits the mold of your diet makes it a million times easier to turn routine. Set aside time once a week and meal prep for yourself…or hire a personal chef!
Variety in your Food: You. Will. Get. Bored. With. The. Same. Stuff. A very common (and super boring) healthy meal plan looks something like this: Grilled Chicken, Asparagus, Brown Rice. K…
There are so many different ingredients in the grocery store that most people have no idea how to use. Do some research, read cook books, and have different things every week. You will lose your motivation fast if you’re eating the same boring things each week. Do your homework, OR….hire a personal chef!
Conclusion
Don’t get me wrong…..dieting is tough. It’s tough to start and tough to make it last. But you don’t need to be miserable while doing it! Do your research. Pick a diet that not only will help you accomplish your goals, but one you can envision lasting and that you will enjoy. Have consistent meal prepping and strive for variety. You can do it. I promise.
Need help with meal prepping for a diet? Contact us to learn how our personal chef services can help make your life easier!
