Please don't ask me about my diet.

I mean absolutely no offense to the people who have asked me, "What diet are you following?" but please don't ask me that. Please don't ask me about my "diet."

If you look up diet in the dictionary, its definition says something like "a particular collection of food meant to improve a person's physical condition or prevent disease." Fair enough, right? But there's a negative stigma that comes with the word diet in our society, which is why I no longer use this word. This is the four-letter d-word that is banned in our house.

Atkins is a diet. South Beach is a diet. The Zone is a diet. The way I eat now? It is not a diet. It is a lifestyle. 

Growing up, I tried all sorts of diets. You can read all about it here. I lost weight with all of them... Then gained it back plus some. It took me a long time to realize that dieting isn't the answer, at least not in that sense. Even after realizing it, it would be a while before I put the knowledge I had gained in place. I didn't want to change the way I ate. I liked it. I loved eating three, four slices of pizza in one sitting. I loved devouring a half pound hamburger and plate of fries. I loved guzzling a large Coke from Sonic. And I love, love, loved junk food. It wasn't the way I ate all the time, and I still loved healthy foods too, but when it was time for a good binge, those were my go-to choices. I didn't want to change all that, but I knew I had to and because I have, I have seen success and so many positive changes in my mind and body.

This photo makes me wish I had a picture of what a grocery haul looked like a couple years ago!

It truly is a lifestyle change--not a diet. I've had to change my way of thinking when it comes to food. Breaking up with my old habits was truly like breaking up with a lifelong friend; it was hard. But the way I look at it, the good parts of eating healthy far outweigh the bad that comes with nutrient-lacking foods. I can eat a candy bar, and it will do nothing for me. Or I can eat a few almonds and cup of yogurt and count on at least a handful of benefits as the outcome. What would you choose?

 

It's not always easy, but I can promise you that it's always worth it. Make healthy choices because they're good for you. Change your eating, change your life. It's hard in the beginning, but every day gets easier. Given time, the cravings for crappy food come less and less and the benefits from healthy eating continue to multiply.