5 Tips to Stay Consistent with Your Diet According to Registered Dietitian Dylan Bair 

Diets have a bad reputation. For most people, just hearing the word invokes thoughts of strict programs that force you to eat gross, bland food and deprive yourself of calories.

But that’s not really what diets are all about. A diet, by definition, is actually just described as ‘the food and drink regularly provided or consumed.’ It’s neither good nor bad, but comes down to what you make it. If you want to fuel your gains, get lean and see positive changes in your body, you’ll need to eat a healthy diet, and you’ll need to stay consistent. But that doesn’t mean your future has to be filled with boiled chicken, broccoli, and rice. 

Instead, registered dietitian and coach Dylan Bair has a few tips and tricks he uses to help himself, and his clients, stick to healthy diets without sacrificing their favorite foods. 

“Staying consistent with a diet is what most people fail to do because they don’t know how to eat a diet that’s enjoyable and sustainable,” says Bair, who received his Master’s of Dietetics from The Ohio State University. 

Here are his top tips for staying consistent when it comes to healthy eating. ‍

1. Make it fun 

“Incorporate ‘fun foods’ in moderation,” says Bair. For the most part, staying consistent with your diet means sticking to whole, nutritionally balanced foods like chicken, beef, whole grains, and vegetables, but that doesn’t mean you need to give up your favorite treats. Just make sure you’re enjoying those fun foods in moderation, and not consuming them as the main source of calories in your diet. 

2. Don’t eliminate food groups unless you have an allergy or intolerance

From paleo to keto, there’s no shortage of elimination diets to choose from, but Bair recommends incorporating all of the food groups into your diet. This makes it easier to stay consistent, as you won’t need to worry about avoiding foods that contain dairy, carbs, or other ingredients that strict diets typically prohibit. 

3. Make all foods fit 

Since we’re not eliminating food groups from your diet, this makes it easier to consume the foods you actually want to eat. If you love pasta, you don’t have to give it up. If you want to eat a donut for a snack, you don’t need to feel guilty. 

Of course, that doesn’t mean you can eat donuts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But it does mean you can make them part of your diet without completely derailing things. A great way to find out if certain foods or meals fit is to use a macro tracker like MyFitnessPal. 

Another option is to work with a dietician or nutritionist to help create a customized meal plan. Bair, who founded Bair Aesthetics in 2013, does this regularly for his clients. “We find foods we love eating, and we work those consistently into our daily intakes while incorporating fun foods in the mix, in moderation,” Bair says. This is a great option if you have no idea where to start, or simply don’t want to spend any time thinking about how to fit your favorite foods into a healthy diet. 

4. Use condiments and seasonings to make your foods taste better

Let’s be honest: staying consistent with your diet doesn’t have to mean bland food day in and day out, but it can get a little dull at times. Bair suggests using condiments and seasonings to (literally) spice up your healthy meals. These salt-free seasonings contain no added sugar or nasty additives and are a great option for meats, veggies, or grain bowls. Mustard, barbecue sauce, chili sauce, marinades, and citrus juices are also great low-cal ways to enhance your food.  

5. Keep your diet simple 

As is the case with most things, the more complicated you make it, the less likely you are to stick with it. A diet is no different. Instead of planning dozens of complex meals that require tons of different ingredients each week, find a few staple meals that work for you and don’t require too much planning. Grain bowls, frozen veggies, and crock pot or one-pan meals like this make meal prepping a breeze. They tend to feature simple ingredients like rice, beans, potatoes, and meat that are easy to find, relatively inexpensive, and quick to prepare. 

You can follow Dylan on Instagram for more healthy living tips, or contact his team for personalized nutrition, lifestyle and competition coaching here.