Many people wonder whether it is more effective to eat healthy or to diet. While dieting often seems like the better option given the popularity of various diets, it is actually better to simply eat healthy instead of trying to control how much you eat. Here’s why:

After dieting, people often gain the weight back. People often think dieting is a quick fix that will solve all their problems. However, this is not the case. People try to restrict themselves of certain foods when on a diet and actually do see results, but these results do not last long. After the diet, that weight usually comes right back because the weight you lost was not the kind that stays off for the long term. You may be happy with the results, but as soon as you go back to eating the way you did before you’re going to put the weight back on. You will also gain weight because your body will think it has to plan for another starvation period and store up just in case.

Eating healthy instills better eating habits. Eating healthy allows you to build healthy eating habits that last for the long term. By learning healthy eating habits, you learn how to always eat right, not just for a period of time. By eating healthy all the time until they become second nature, it becomes part of your life.

Eating healthy gives you the proper nutrients you need. Diets is very limiting in regards to providing you with the proper nutrients you need. This often results deficiencies of essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that your body needs. When you eat a well-balanced diet, you get the variety that your body needs to function well.

Dieting is only temporary. Diets only last for a period of time. People diet with the hopes of losing weight in a short amount of time. However, this is not the most optimal way to lose weight. Losing weight takes time. It does not just happen over night. If you want to lose weight and keep the weight off, you need to put in the effort to keep it off which requires healthy eating and exercise over the course of many months usually. To lose weight, try to focus on planning for healthy meals instead of sticking to a strict diet.

Dieting makes you feel deprived which can make it more difficult to keep up. Diets include a number of things you can’t eat. This is no fun. People often feel like they are deprived of what they enjoy. By eating a healthy and well-balanced diet you can enjoy the things you like in small amounts. It is better to eating seven to eight small healthy meals a day than one to two large meals. This way, you don’t starve yourself and keep your weight under control at the same time.