Why You Don’t Need Another Diet

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Being a massive weight-loser, I’ve tried many a diets throughout my journey of losing 160 pounds. I’ve tried Keto, Weight Watchers, The Seven Day Diet, Vegan, Vegetarianism, you name it. But at the end of the day my biggest success came from making small changes that led to a balanced, lifestyle overhaul.

Here’s the thing about going on a diet.

When you jump into a diet, you typically do so out of either excitement or desperation. Both of those have to do with our emotions. The problem is, emotions are fleeting. They change all the time.

That means that if your health journey is based on emotion, you’re going to fail. It’l be a cycle of starting, stopping, and repeating.

That’s just miserable.

If you can close your eyes and picture the ideal scenario, you’d eventually stop struggling, right? You’d stop over-thinking every food choice, and instead you’d simply eat when you’re hungry, and not when you’re not.

Why Diets Are Comfortable

If you’ve struggled with your weight, chances are you’ve slipped into how-will-this-affect-my-scale mode more times than you’d like to admit.

You stop taking the time to enjoy your food, and you start either 1. eating foods you hate, or 2. beating yourself up for eating an unhealthy treat. It becomes a constantly battle.

Familiar with this scenario?

Your friend sends you a text message about this new diet she’s trying and she lost 6 pounds last week. She feels amazing. You think, “Hm! Well that sounds nice! Maybe I should try that”

You then jump right into the diet, full-force.

You throw out every ounce of junk food in the pantry, do a healthy-foods overhaul at the grocery store, and map out your plan for success. You post about it on social media, take before photos, and jot down your starting weight.

At first, being on this new diet is comforting because it lends you a safety net and an exact roadmap to success. Simply stick to doing xyz, exactly as it’s outlined, and you’ll lose the weight.

And oh how wonderful it would be to finally lose the weight.

When left to our own judgement, we don’t think we have what it takes to stay on track. That or we feel overwhelmed with making the constant choice of what to eat.

And sometimes… we just feel downright out of control.

“Diet” vs. “A Diet”

To be honest, “diet” by definition is not a bad thing at all. It’s what that word has become in our modern culture that’s the problem.

Take a look at the actual definitions of the word diet…. You’ll find they’re actually pretty inline with healthy eating, as opposed to the dieting cycle we’re all too familiar with these days:

“food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health”

“a particular selection of food, especially as designed or prescribed to improve a person’s physical condition or to prevent or treat a disease”

“to regulate the food of, especially in order to improve the physical condition”

“to select or limit the food one eats to improve one’s physical condition or to lose weight

So when I say we don’t need “a diet” I mean we don’t need a rigid program that spirals us into a cycle. We need to focus on “our own diet” meaning our relationship with food in general, as well as our eating habits.

If Not A Diet, Then What?

Don’t get me wrong. You’re not alone. About half of all of us women are on a diet at any given time. Buuuut, only about 5% of those who lose weight on a crash diet will actually keep the weight off.

So while dropping that first few pounds sounds life-changing, it’s really not. It’s actually more of a bandaid situation. It goes away once the stickiness fades.

Much more practical is to focus on a wholesome plan that leads to a healthy lifestyle.

Real life doesn’t exclude every trace of bread. Real life includes a scoop of ice cream with your kiddos on a hot summer night. Real life includes fruits, and starchy vegetables. Real life… is all about balance.

Should you eat ice cream every night when the kids go to bed? Probably not. Although, I love a good Halo Top fix here and there. 😉

But you don’t have to swear of ice cream for the rest of your life. Why not enjoy frozen, dark sweet cherries most nights, and save the ice cream for when you really want it?

Why not enjoy the burger without the bun most days, but every now and then just enjoy the whole dang burger and fries?

But What About Actually Losing The Weight?

Agreed. Living a healthy lifestyle is one thing. Trying to lose weight is a whole different ballgame.

This is exactly why I think it’s so important to avoid fad diets and instead choose a plan that is well-rounded. Something you can do for months, then years.

Eating cheese-drenched eggs with 6 slices of bacon and paired with bulletproof coffee every morning for six years… would get old for me. (Not knocking those who this works wonders for! Just speaking for me personally!)

But eating 2 eggs fried with a spritz of cooking oil spray, on top of a slice of whole grain toast, and with a side delicious but healthy coffee?? Oh yeah, that’s been my jam for years now. That or my weight loss friendly oatmeal.

The point is that you have to find what’s sustainable and actually healthy. What’s the point of doing a diet that helps you drop pounds but causes your organs and insides to struggle? On the other hand, what’s the point of eating healthy but choosing the healthy foods you don’t even like? You can only choke down foods you hate for so long before you totally give up.

It’s Truly A Lifestyle

All along the entire journey people told me it was all about embracing a lifestyle. I smiled and nodded. I mean I agreed, but I was focused on on making it through each day of the journey.

What I didn’t realize is that I was doing something right. I was focused on making small, healthy changes; I was doing what I felt I could keep doing over time.

All those small substitutions and healthier options, truly did turn into what I now have. Which is a healthy and balanced lifestyle in which I’m at a weight that’s comfortable to me.

I can sustain it pretty easily. I can pull back when I need to. And I literally do want the healthier option a lot of times.

It came about over time. That’s right.. T.I.M.E. That thing we dread. But it has been soooooooo worth it!!

So What Does A Healthy, Diet-Free Life Look Like?

I’m so glad you asked. Because if you’re like me, you’ve spent way too many years dieting only to find yourself exactly where you started.

For a moment, think about this. How many days have you spent completely obsessed or stressed over your eating choices, but gotten nowhere? How many of those days added together turned into years? How long has this been a struggle for you? I get it. The struggle. is. real.

My weight has always been a thing for me. It’s never not been a thing. But it wasn’t until recently that I asked myself how long I’m going to stress over every bite of food I put into my mouth?!

And ya know what? It’s not worth it to me to live the rest of my life that way. Did I think I’d eventually be about 30 pounds smaller than I am? Sure. But do I feel good where I’m at? Absolutely. I am so much stronger, healthier, and more fit than I have EVER been in my life.

My nutrition is so much better. Why? Because I truly see food as the very thing that fuels my body, and I consume it accordingly. I’ve also learned the value in enjoying foods that I like. So pizza night with the fam doesn’t derail me. I enjoy every last bite, and then I’m right back to the healthy breakfast option the next morning.

I used to sit and eat the pizza (that I wanted SO BAD) but I’d spend every second convincing myself that it was ok. That it was justified. That I “earned” it. By the end, I was mad at myself for eating the pizza.. And for that reason, I was never satisfied.

Then learned to actually enjoy the food I eat. What a difference that makes in being able to follow the 80/20 rule (which I’ll tell you about below).

Tips For Slipping Into A Diet-Free Lifestyle

Learn To Listen To Your Body

Just because you’re saying NO to diets, doesn’t mean you should dive off the deep end. What’s the fun in that? You’ll just become miserable and find yourself desperately looking for a diet again before you know it.

Instead, go through the process of learning to listen to your body. When you’ve been dictated by whatever diet for so long, you learn to ignore your body’s cues.

So it’s all about-relearning them.

What’s it feel like to be hungry? What’s it feel like to be satisfied enough? Or too full? What’s it feel like when you’re body’s telling you you’ve had enough food – and that any more will leave you stuffed once your food settles? What does thirst feel like? Fatigue?

Our bodies are always sending us signals, so learning what those feel like, and giving ourselves a chance to get into the practice of responding to those signals will push us toward the natural ebbs and flows of what our bodies need.

Strive For Balance

There are people who eat well 100% percent of the time. It’s a small percentage, but they’re out there. At least… I think.

Balance, for me, means maintainability. If you tell me I’ll never get another candy bar again, that’s the first thing I’ll want. Like right now. Gotta have it.

On the other hand, if you tell me a candy bar is in my future, but I need to wait a day or two… Well I can do that. If you tell me I can have a candy bar when I really want one, but I should only have one… okay. That’ll work for me.

The problem is when there are no constraints, or too many. Either extreme can be detrimental. I know this because when I was 336 pounds I ate more sugar than you’d probably believe if I told you. I mean candy and chocolate were my main source of comfort. And I consumed it a LOT, and in HUGE quantities.

An incredible friend and fitness instructor I know taught me to live by the 80/20 rule. Never heard of it? It’s basically an easy way to compartmentalize how often you’re making the healthier choices, and how often you’re indulging in a “treat.”

So now, I strive to make the healthier choice 80% of the time and save my less healthy options for 20% of the time. Sound doable?

It totally is.

Eat When Your Hungry

How many times have you run to the kitchen and made a mug cake because you know you have 300 calories left to consume on your diet that day? Hungry? Not at all. But it’s part of the plan so you’re doing it!!

On the flip side, how many times have you been absolutely starving but your diet says you can’t eat for another 2 hours?

I’m not saying there aren’t times when you should deviate from your hunger cues. For example my hunger comes QUICK! My hubby can ask if I’m hungry and I’ll say no. Then five minutes later I’m absolutely starving.

The key? I’ve learned to listen to my body.

A great rule of thumb is this: Eat when you’re hungry, and don’t when you’re not. This helps to keep snacking at bay as well. Not hungry? Don’t throw those few hershey kisses into your mouth.

Asking yourself if you’re hungry (or just bored, stressed, tired, thirsty, etc…) can help you learn your body’s signals, and help you start fueling your body appropriately.

Choose Real Foods

And when you’re hungry… eat real food! This is one way to find out if you’re actually hungry or not. Sometimes I’ll crave something, like let’s say something from the vending machine. But I’ll pause and say, “Okay do I really want this? If I’m really hungry I’m going to eat the apple and string cheese I packed in my bag.”

If I don’t want “real” food, then I’m probably not being prompted by hunger. So then I jump back and ask myself what might be tricking me into being hungry.

Choosing real foods also helps us to fuel our bodies with nutrient-rich foods, which is of course the goal – good health!

Find A Plan That Will Lead To A Lifestyle

So you just don’t feel confident making these changes on your own. I get that. I’m the type of person who needs some sort of guidelines or plan.

Before diving in, ask yourself the overall goal of that particular plan. Is it “major weight loss fast” or “melt the fat away”? If so, it’s a diet.

On the other hand, if you find a plan that teaches you actual life skills you can apply to your dietary practices for the longterm, you may have a winner!

Some things to look for in a good plan are:

Is it well-rounded (all the food groups, everything in moderation?)
Is it practical (does it include life, like dinner out or work luncheons?)
Is it balanced (versus extreme?)
Is it flexible (or is getting off track a deal breaker for good?)

Embrace The Journey

At the end of the day, it’s a weight loss/health journey. I promise you it’ll include highs, lows, ups, downs, victories, and defeats. The sooner you realize this (and embrace it) you can stop stressing about the glamorous moments and start enjoying the process.