"DIET".....the scarey word

Let's face it.   When we all hear the word "Diet" we think of deprivation, hunger, starvation, miserable, tasteless, boring, and on, and on.....Why is this?  Over the years, the word "Diet" went from its true meaning to what I just described.

Here's the real definition of "Diet" per www.Dictionary.com: "food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health".

I'd like to change the way we think about the word "Diet".  How do we do that?  Go back to its true meaning and focus on what that means.

There is no magic pill, powder, drink, bar, or machine that is going to take the weight off and keep it off.  You can go on any fad diet out there and lose weight, but does it really teach you how to eat.  So many of these diets out there teach restriction & deprivation.  They say they offer great meal plans for you - meals already made for you, but what you don't realize is how processed these foods are & just loaded with sodium (which is so unhealthy for you).  Sure they are low calorie meals and they can help you count your calories, but are they REALLY healthy for you?  Are you really eating nutritious foods.  I say NO.

Back in 2007 when I decided to stop smoking (had been a smoker for 20 years) and was at my heaviest weight ever, I knew I had to get a grip on myself.  I just started searching the web, reading, and developed a desire to do better by myself.  I had seen commercials for the 6-Week Body Makeover and it was also used on a TV show and the logistics of it all really made sense to me.  I didn't fully agree with the workout program, but I agreed with the eating program.  I went to my local library and picked up another version of this called the 6-Day Body Makeover.  I read the book, figured out my body blueprint, and started eating.  I got teased like you wouldn't believe at work about how much food I was eating every day (my cooler wasn't your average "bring to work" size).  Shortly after I started that, my neighbor told me about a book called The Eat-Clean Diet.  I read that book from cover-to-cover very quickly (as it was a easy read) and the concept was very similar to the first book I had read.  What both of these books boiled down to, was EAT THE WAY YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO EAT and the weight will come off.  Within 2 months, I was down 15 lbs.  When I started to add exercise to it, another 15 lbs. came off.  Within 4 months, I was down a total of 30 lbs.  The key was I did it the right way.  I didn't starve myself, I ate healthy, and I exercised.

The key to a healthy diet is eating the right foods for you, eat in smaller quantities more often (5-6 small meals a day), and exercise 3-4 times a week.  Exercise doesn't mean you have to kill yourself by spending hours in the gym.  30-40 minutes, 3-4 times a week is all you need.  I'm not the type of person that likes to workout with a buddy or go to aerobics classes.  I like to fly solo.  There are so many awesome new ways to exercise now days.  The "web" is just full of ideas so you can never get bored.  My latest thing is HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training).  Check it out.

My advice to you is to stop "Dieting".  Stop hoping there is something magical out there in the form of a pill or powder that is going to make you lose weight & be healthy.  Sure these fad diets & weight management programs might help you lose weight, but will you be able to keep that weight off?  Have you truly learned about eating healthier foods?  Have you really developed a new lifestyle for yourself that you can maintain?  I'll be the first to admit that eating healthy all the time is not easy, it's not going to be 100%, but I can strive to do my best most of the days.  And when I do slip & fall, I always know how to get back up.