Which headline sounds more ridiculous to you:

1. The diet that will burn belly fat for you!
2. Eat as much as you want and lose weight doing it!
3. Lose ten pounds in five days with the “Skinny-Me NOW” Plan!
4. Have your cake and eat it too… and lose 20 pounds while you’re at it!

(?)

The truth is, they’re all a little ridiculous in their own right. What’s worse, though, is that tabloids are so full of headlines like these, unverified health claims, and “not-so-expert” opinions, that it’s getting more and more difficult to discern what’s healthy… from what isn’t.

On top of that, an article that encourages a rapid fire ten pounds of weight loss not only sets readers up for one crummy and calorie deprived workweek, but it also predestines them to fail.

Predestines them to fail?! What does that mean?

Well, let’s say Sally (our reader) goes on what she could only call a “miracle diet” and knocks off ten pounds like a champ. …Now what?

That diet removed gluten, processed sugars, 98% of their typical sodium intake, 100% of their favorite foods and all of their dairy. So, after day five, when Sally rewards herself with a much deserved serving of tater tots, her body freaks out a little and retains all of the water weight it can. Add that to the natural (((XXXX????))) fluctuation in body weight one can experience any given day and BOOM… lovely little Sally is pretty much right back where she started.

Except now she’s frustrated, disheartened, disappointed and unsure whether “eating healthy” is even her thing since this attempt at doing so was clearly a giant failure.

So wouldn’t it be nice if Sally (or you) could have found a headline that didn’t lure them in with some outlandish promise and then propose a (debatably unhealthy) diet that mandates the adjustment of their entire lifestyle?

Wouldn’t it be nice if a headline set reasonable expectations for someone? And that articles proposed plans that work right alongside your lifestyle and not directly contradictory to it? A diet that works for you and not against you in the end?  A diet that will do what it says and can be sustained?

Well, you saw our headline. Now here’s that diet:

The YOU Choose Meal Plan

Whether you choose to lose, improve, gain or refrain, this is a diet you can expect to maintain.

• • What’s been a healthy, sustainable change you’ve made to your eating habits?
• • What do you like about our plan or how would you refine it?

Be sure to share your thoughts and let us know how it goes in the comments below!

P.S.

Have a friend/family member/coworker/etc. who’s been trying to eat healthier? Lend them a helping hand and email them a link to this post!