What is A Diet Anyway?

What is a diet anyway? Is it a noun, is it a verb? This is a topic I have thought about often. Regardless of what it “is”, it can dictate what or how we eat. I feel over the years the core of what a diet should be has gotten lost.

Food For Thought

Regardless of how we look at our diet, it is all too easy in times of uncertainty to let our guard down on our fitness and nutrition. In fact, it becomes really easy to just give in to the temptation of comfort food. Add to that to the gyms are closed and people’s routines are forced to change. If we aren’t careful, the pounds will sneak up on us.

Unexpected Changes

Now that it is obvious that the Corona Virus is not going anywhere soon, it is time to start putting the comfort food temptations away. . For many of us normal is still a long way off. especially those of us that our jobs are not coming back online anytime soon. However, it is time to find some kind of normalcy in our new routines. If we don’t we will definitely pay for it later.

It Sneaks Up on You

As a teenager, I was able to eat and drink water I wanted and it never really stuck. I was referred to as being like a toothpick. Tall, thin and no shape whatsoever, unless a wood board is a “shape”. Turning 30 was a game-changer. I still consumed the bad foods as if I was in my teens and twenties. The difference was the weight no longer “fell” off as my metabolism had changed. Initially, I remember just accepting this. When I looked around and saw others my age I was seeing the same transformation happening. I accepted this as normal. It appeared that as people age they just get heavy and more out of shape.

Time to Take Control

In my mid 30’s I decided I was not going to just accept this as being the way it had to be. I remember researching different diets. I fell into trying the sugar-free soda’s, all the “fads” that people seemed to do to lose weight. The bottom line was I really didn’t like either option. First, diet soda did not taste good. More importantly, the idea of the sugar substitutes and what they can do didn’t set very well with me. I also wasn’t a fan of any of the diet options. I saw way too many of my loved ones try the fad diets. They generally found success while on the diet. Unfortunately, once they were “done”, they reverted back to old habits. This allowed the weight to come back, and usually, the pounds brought some friends. This got me thinking. What is a diet anyway?

What is a Diet Anyway?

Starting at a young age we learn about a healthy balanced diet. The food pyramid diagram is used to teach us how we should be eating. This got me to thinking. When did a diet become something we “do” and not something we “have”. I think about this often and I have gotten to the point that I just don’t like the term “diet”. I decided if I was going to lose weight I needed to do it my way. Deprivation from the things I enjoy was not going to be the way for me.

Sustainability is a Must

My approach became much more simple than a diet plan. I have read about many of the diets out there and incorporated concepts into my ways of eating along the way. My main concept is sustainability. It is my belief that whatever changes I make needs to be something I can sustain. I know for a fact I am not interested in sustaining life without chocolate or ice cream. I do however know that these items should not be a part of my daily diet (as in the noun form).

Taking 40 Head On

At age 39, I decided that I was not happy with how I looked and more importantly how I felt. At times I would feel like a sloth, I was not ok with that. Since 30 hit me so hard, I decided it was time to do something. I made the statement that I intended to take 40 head-on. I was not going to allow my age to define how I looked. Initially, I made pretty significant changes, it paid off. While I was losing weight I had gotten to the point that I felt I was losing too much. I allowed myself to re-introduce some of the traeats I enjoy. The key for me is to not quit, just adjust as my needs change.

Playing the Long Game

I think my biggest success come from not expecting big changes in short term. I have found that when we deprive ourselves of things we love, we can’t succeed long term. In addition if we take everything away at once the feel like we are torturing ourselves. Then when we give in to the temptations, we tend to go overboard. In order to prevent this my plan has been to only make one big change at a time. I found that if I eliminate one trouble item at a time it is much easier to accept. Once I would see the success of that change, I would introduce then next step.

Never Give up

This approach has enabled me to see long term success. While sustainability is my ultimate goal, I am still human. Life occasionally interferes with the strength to be consistent. When my mother passed away, I used her passing as an excuse to give in to the temptations. I allowed myself to indulge in foods that I knew were not going to help me achieve my goals. After a few months and added pounds, I reminded myself that this was not what I wanted. Nor would it be what my mother would have wanted for me. I learned from my choices. I made it a point when my father became ill that I would not give into the same excuses. It is extremely important to remember that a bad day or week doesn’t mean failure. Never forget that each day is the opportunity to make a fresh start.

No More Excuses

Back to COVID, it is time to put the excuses behind us and move forward. In this time when so many things are out of our control, we must take control of what we still can. Choosing how we approach our fitness and nutrition is not only something we remain in control of but something we must keep awareness of. Our health and wellness depend on it.

You Don’t Have To Do It Alone

Join Me On This Journey

Check back soon as I will begin to share my thoughts on this new to me program. If you are interested in joining me on this journey, please reach out. I have found online motivation groups to be very helpful in providing positive accountability.