The Basics of Sustainable Change 🌱

If you’ve read any of my other blog posts, you probably already know: I believe in sustainable change over dieting. So let’s talk about why that is, and how this approach can actually lead to long-term results and better health—mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Why Diets Don’t Work ❌

First things first: diets don’t last. In fact, research shows that up to 95% of people who lose weight on a diet regain it within a few years. Why? Because diets are usually short-term, restrictive plans that don’t address the root of the problem—our habits, mindset, and relationship with food.

Diets often lead to:

• Disordered eating patterns, like bingeing, restricting, or obsessing over food.

• Mental stress around food choices, social eating, and body image. 😩

• Body dysmorphia and self-hate, because diet culture teaches us that our worth is tied to how small we are.

I started dieting when I was 12. Sure, I lost weight, but I also gained a horrible relationship with food. I became obsessed with calorie counts and was terrified of missing a workout. I avoided friends to focus on exercise, skipped social events because I didn't know what food would be served, and spent every day battling food rules in my head. That wasn’t living. It sucked.

The Truth About Restriction 🍽️

Here’s what most diets don’t tell you: your body doesn’t know you’re on a diet—it thinks you’re in danger. Chronic restriction can trigger what people often call "starvation mode," where your body slows down your metabolism, ramps up your hunger hormones, and becomes laser-focused on getting food.

• Ghrelin (your hunger hormone) increases.

• Leptin (your fullness hormone) drops.

• Your body starts storing fat more efficiently, to protect you.

• You crave high-calorie foods because your brain thinks it needs to stock up. 🍕🍫

This is not a failure of willpower—it’s your biology trying to keep you alive.

So What Is Sustainable Change?

Sustainable change means creating habits you can stick with for life. It’s about focusing on consistency over perfection, and making decisions based on self-respect, and healthy goals, not self-punishment.

It might look like:

• Adding more fruits and veggies to your meals. (woohoo, fiber!)

• Going for a walk because it helps you feel good and helps you work through stress.

• Eating dessert mindfully, without guilt or the need to restrict later. 🍰

• Having protien with each meal because it helps you feel better throughout the day (stable blood sugar and more sustained fullness!)

Sustainable change lets life happen. You can go on vacation, attend a party, or have a stressful day without falling off some imaginary wagon. Why? Because your habits support you no matter what’s going on. 🧘‍♀️

The Psychology of Real Change 🧠

Diets often create an all-or-nothing mindset: you’re either "on track" or "off the rails." This thinking fuels:

• Binge-restrict cycles

• Anxiety around food

• A disconnection from your body’s real needs

But when you shift your mindset from control to care, everything changes. You stop fighting your body and start working with it.

One powerful example: Instead of saying, "I can’t have that brownie," you might say, "I can have brownies whenever I want—but right now, I’m low on fiber for the day and I know I feel better when I have enough fiber from fruit. I will have some fruit now, and if I still want the brownie later, I’ll enjoy it." 🍓

That’s self-respect over restriction.

Another example: Whenever you go to parties, you gorge on pizza and often feel like crap afterwards. Perhaps you decide that a healthy change could be having 2 slices of pizza, and a big salad or veggies on the side. This way, you eat the food you love and also nourish your body!

Diets vs. Discipline 🥊

Let’s get this straight: restriction is not the same as discipline. Real discipline means doing what’s good for you long-term—which often includes resting, eating enough, and enjoying your favorite foods in ways that feel good.

Diets are often just short-term fixes that cover up the problem instead of solving it. By addressing the root cause of your habits, and then making sustainable changes, you create long term solutions.

You may ask yourself:

• Why are you emotionally eating?

• Why do you feel out of control around food?

• What would make you feel better in your mind and body?

• How does eating this way serve or hinder you and your progress towards your goals?

These are the real questions we need to explore. 🔍

What Sustainable Changes May Look Like in Real Life 🌟

These aren’t quick fixes—they’re foundational habits that can improve your health long-term without sending you into restriction mode. Here are some sustainable habits you may consider adding to your daily life:

🥗 Nutrition-Based Habits

• Add a serving of fruit or vegetables to one (or more!) meals per day.

• Include protein at every meal to stay full longer and support muscle.

• Keep satisfying snacks on hand to prevent intense hunger (like nuts, fruit, cheese sticks, etc)

• Practice eating without distractions (like phones or TV) a few times a week to tune in to fullness.

• Swap the mindset from “cutting out sugar” to “crowding in nutrients.”

🚶‍♀️ Movement-Based Habits

• Aim for daily walks or intentional movement that you enjoy—not as punishment.

• Stretch in the morning or after work to reconnect with your body.

• Focus on strength and endurance improvements—not just calories burned.

• Rest when your body needs it (yes, that counts as part of a sustainable fitness routine!).

🧠 Mindset-Based Habits

• Start a journal or note app where you reflect on how certain foods make you feel—energized, bloated, satisfied, etc.

• Replace “I can’t have that” with “Do I want that right now? Will it feel good?”

• Celebrate wins that aren’t scale-related: more energy, better sleep, improved mood, more consistent bathroom habits. ✅

• Give yourself permission to eat all foods.

🧃 Lifestyle-Based Habits

• Drink a full glass of water before your morning coffee ☕

• Make a “nourishing grocery list” each week based on what foods help your body feel best

• Schedule meals like appointments instead of skipping or grazing all day

• Keep simple go-to meals on hand to reduce stress when you're tired or busy

  
  

Creating sustainable changes that focus on overall health have so many benefits:

Stable blood sugar, better digestion, energy levels, mood... all of it can shift when you start nourishing your body instead of fighting it.

Takeaway: Choose Self-Respect Over Rules 💫

Sustainable change isn’t glamorous, it may take a while! It’s not a 30-day detox or a magic pill. It’s small shifts, over time, made from a place of care instead of control. It’s about showing up for yourself with compassion, again and again.

If you want long-term results, a better relationship with food, and peace in your body, skip the diet.

Choose sustainable change instead. ✨

What is one change you can implement into your routine today?

If you want some support on your health journey, sign up for one on one nutrition coaching with me! I'd love to help! Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day :)