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Why meal plans won’t work in the long term

Lots of people use meal plans of varying sorts to try and lose weight – and that’s fine.

But it’s worth just thinking about the concept of replacing “normal” food with “low calorie” food for a moment and – crucially – what happens when you potentially reach your weight target and revert back to the normal habits and routines.

Remember, anyone can lose weight – it really is just a question of your body using up more calories each day than it takes in. If you don’t believe this, then remember that when your body breaks down fat molecules for energy, the constituent parts (carbon, hydrogen and oxygen) are lost from the body primarily via the air that you breath out – so whilst you can drastically reduce the amount of calories you take on board – you can’t stop breathing!

In other words – if you only take in say 70% of your required calorie intake for a reasonable amount of time – it’s guaranteed you’ll lose weight.

So if the objective is to take in less calories overall, it seems kind of perverse to create a whole world of “food substitutions”!

Sure, you can substitute every meal and snack you have with “low calorie” alternatives but, cost aside, what’s going to happen when you stop?

You’ll still eat meals at the same times and probably have snacks as well, so you’ll be back where you started – taking in more calories than you use.

Guess what will happen then?

And the same really applies to ANY diet – reduce the amount of calories you take in for a reasonable amount of time and you WILL lose weight, but what happens after?

If the only way to lose weight AND THEN KEEP IT OFF is to permanently take in less calories, then you have to change your mindset about food and drink – you have to start changing all those “bad” eating and activity habits and routines and replacing them with “good” ones.

And that’s the real problem with long term weight loss.

It’s hard to change set thoughts, habits and routines – many of which are instilled into your daily life. Those set meal times, the visits to the coffee shop, the special daily “treats”, the bedtime drink, the takeaway, the snacks on-the-go, not to mention the constant bombardment from food and drink companies – they are all pitched against you when you try and change things!

The only way to do this is to make the changes slowly – a little bit at a time.

By doing this, you’re much more likely to succeed and make a permanent difference to your overall weight and health.

And you can do it without spending hundreds of pounds a month on meal plans and weight loss clubs.

Until next time.

The New In 90 Team

Do you want more help and advice on changing habits and routines for long term weight control and fitness?

Then find out more about The New In 90 Program – we’ll show you exactly what changes you should make, when to make them and, crucially, how to make them.

Or better still – download the App and start the Program today!

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