Day 4 – What Is A Diet?

Think about the diets you have been on. What do they all have in common? Eliminating a major macronutrient…Atkins, Paleo. Controlling portions sizes…Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast. Classifying foods into good and bad categories…21 day fix, Red Light Green Light Diet, Whole 30. You get the idea, these are obvious diets that have become mainstream and very recognizable.

However, how often is your attempt at eating “healthy” also falling into one of those categories? Any time you change your eating habits or eliminate food for the direct purpose of changing your body it can be classified as a diet.

In order to really evaluate if what you are doing is a diet in disguise, ask yourself these questions:

Could I Really Do This Forever?

Could you really give up cookies, carbohydrates, grains, or fruits forever? Could you only eat prepackaged portioned foods forever? Could you never eat sugar again?

The simple answer is no. Even if you do do your best to follow these restrictions sooner or later they will come with their challenges. The challenge is called Life!

Life means going to a friends birthday party, attending a work event, or traveling. You get the idea.

Being able to be flexible with your eating and make due with what you have available is huge…diets don’t allow that to happen.

Is Following this Plan Making Me Hungry or Crave Foods?

Hunger, no one should be hungry. I could get on the political soapbox about how many Americans are literally hungry in the United States today because of not having enough money. However, I’m talking about intentionally being hungry.

It looks something like this. I eat the right amount of points for the day, but all I’m still hungry. I finished my prepackaged portioned out meal, but I’m still hungry. I drank my smoothie, but I REALLY want french fries.

Hunger and cravings are your bodies way of telling you what it needs/wants! No, your body isn’t trying to hurt you, it just needs enough nutrients to do it’s job.

This is why diets don’t last. You won’t be able to restrict forever.

Can I Truly Learn to Enjoy All Foods?

We do know that long term dieters lose the joy in eating. They are less likely to have a positive relationship with food and enjoy eating. You are craving french fries, but you eat a salad? Did that bring you joy? Were you actually satisfied by the meal or did you feel bad you couldn’t eat what you craved?

It comes down to eating food you are satisfied with. In order to have true satisfaction you must eat food you enjoy and take time to really enjoy it.

What do you think, can you see how some of your thoughts about food could still be falling into the categories with dieting? Can you see how that may get in the way of improving your overall relationship with food?

I’d love to hear what you think, please feel free to comment below!

Eliminating foods for the direct result to lose weight.