10 Signs You’re Choosing the Right Diet

You want to begin eating a healthier diet. You know that this will be better for your health overall. You also know that it will help you meet the goal that you have of losing weight. However, you’re not sure if the diet that you’re choosing is the right one. How can you tell?

Here are ten signs that indicate that you’re choosing the right diet and that you should stick with it for at least a little while longer:

1.     You feel happier. One of the biggest signs that you have chosen the right diet is that you feel happier than you did before you were dieting. There are many reasons that you might feel happier. It may be because you are exercising more or because you like the way that you look better or because you’re proud of sticking with your diet. It doesn’t matter what the specific reason is that you feel happier. If you feel happier, it’s a good sign that you’ve chosen the right diet for you.

2.     You hear yourself recommending the diet to other people. Sometimes we don’t even notice how happy we are with a diet until other people point it out to us. Listen to how you talk about the diet with other people. Do you complain that you have to eat boring foods or do you mention the great new recipes that you’re trying out? Sure, you’ll have down days where you complain about your diet but if you find on the whole that you’re speaking positively about it then it’s a good sign that you’ve chosen the right diet.

3.     You don’t feel too restricted. A diet is going to be difficult to stick with especially at first. You will feel that you’ve been limited in some way if you’re giving up certain types of foods. However, you shouldn’t feel overly restricted by your diet. It should feel manageable. If indeed the diet doesn’t feel excessively restrictive then it’s a really good sign that you’ve chosen the right diet.

4.     You can imagine sticking with this diet for a long time. Most people who are “on a diet” imagine that they will lose weight and then go off the diet. However, when you choose the right diet, it will be one that will be a real lifestyle change for you. You will feel that you have altered your way of eating and exercise and that it’s a lifestyle change you can imagine sticking with for a long time to come. If you feel that way about your diet then you have probably chosen the right one. If you have gotten to the point where you can stop thinking about dieting and just stick to the diet without it being a constant concern then you’ve definitely chosen the right diet.

5.     You feel better physically. Pay attention to your physical health as you continue with your diet. Do you feel better? Can you walk for longer periods of time without getting winded? Are any of the health problems that you complained about in the past clearing up? If you notice that there are obvious physical benefits taking place then you’ve certainly chosen the right diet.

6.     You are losing weight. If weight loss is a goal of your diet and you have started to lose weight then this is a good sign that the diet is a good choice. Notably, this sign alone doesn’t mean that you have a good diet. You can lose weight on unhealthy crash diets and then gain the weight right back. However, it’s one key component in a full observation of whether or not you’ve chosen the diet that is right for you. It’s certainly not a good sign if you have weight loss as a goal and you’ve been sticking to the diet for a few months and still aren’t seeing any signs of weight loss. Likewise, if you’ve set other goals for the diet (such as building muscle) and you aren’t seeing progress after a few months then you may need to tweak the diet or choose a new one.

7.     Your caloric intake has gone down. In most cases, a healthy diet is going to include the consumption of fewer calories than what you were eating before you started the diet. This isn’t always the case. There are some special diets (such as those high in exercise) that this will not hold true for. In general, though, diets reduce your total caloric intake. If you have successfully done this over time and the change is sticking then you have probably chosen a diet that is right for you.

8.     You feel control over your food choices. One of the biggest signs that a diet is working for you is that you feel like you’re in control of it. Many people with diet problems feel like food controls them. Making this change is a very positive sign.

9.     You learn more every day. A new diet is going to have a solid foundation but it won’t be too rigid. You will learn something new all of the time. Maybe you will learn about new foods that you can incorporate into your diet. Maybe you will learn about a new form of exercise that compliments your diet goals. Or perhaps you will learn something about yourself and your personal food triggers (which can limit the benefits of a diet). If you become stagnant on your diet and aren’t learning anything new then you might want to choose a new diet or step up your attention to this diet.

10. Overall you feel positive about the diet. Ultimately, you just need to trust your gut instinct on this one. If the diet is progressing but you just don’t feel like it’s right for you then it’s probably not. If you haven’t quite seen the results that you’re seeking yet but you have a really positive attitude and a good feeling about the diet then it could be the right one and you should stick with it for awhile. Trust yourself.