The Dreaded Diet

Reframe how you think about the word diet.

Before you read this, I'd like you to take a moment and think about the first thing that comes into your head when you hear the word, 'diet.' Have you got something? Great!

Then take another look at the picture above. Does it look like something you'd eat on a diet?

No. Probably not. Maybe on a 'cheat day.'

Why? Well there's chocolate (vegan) there for a start.

The word diet has a bad reputation and is usually used as a synonym for weight loss. You're on a diet or you've failed at your diet. Maybe you'll start your diet after the weekend, after one last 'blow out.' It's become associated with deprivation, restrictions and sometimes even starving ourselves. It's associated with low calorie intakes- sometimes taken to a dangerous extreme. Foods get labelled as 'good' or 'bad.' These labels then dictate how often we might eat something, or whether we'll allow ourselves to eat it at all. It's miserable. It's very negative. And it's not healthy.

It doesn't have to be like that.

“Diet: noun: the type of food that a person, animal or a community habitually eats- e.g. a plant based diet.”

Diet is about balance

Pushing the negativity to one side, our diets are about what we eat on a day to day basis. It's the foods we choose to eat to keep our bodies functioning. It effects how we create energy, repair ourselves and fight off any bugs or viruses.

You do not need to go on a diet.

I'm going to say that again.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO GO ON A DIET!

You already have a diet.

It might be plant based, vegan, or vegetarian. You might eat an omnivorous diet, or you might have a diet that excludes certain foods due to diagnosed intolerances, allergies or a medical condition. Regardless, you already have a diet.

Sometimes, your diet is out of balance- the way we know if the balance is off is really simple- we either gain or lose weight. In some cases, you just feel 'off.' I usually say that I'm feeling 'blurghh', and what I mean by that is my energy levels are low, and I feel sluggish or maybe bloated.

So how do we rectify this? As I already mentioned, going 'on a diet' is not necessary. Two things usually happen when you go on a diet.

1) You lose weight, typically quite quickly at a level that isn't healthy.

2) The moment you finish the diet, the weight piles back on.

Bringing balance back to a diet (and lifestyle) that is causing weight gain can be done in two ways- eating less or moving more. The sustainable solution is to implement small changes that make a difference. Small changes to our routine are easier to implement, and if they're easier to implement, we are more likely to continue to do them past the point of being a conscious choice, to the point where they become a new habit.

Here are a couple of tips for creating sustainable change.

1. This is probably the hardest part. Take a good look at your diet and lifestyle. Be honest with yourself. What not-so-healthy habits have you developed over the years?

2. Choose 1 or 2 things to change. This stops you becoming overwhelmed with new things to do (or not do!)

3. Once you've mastered one or two new habits, consider other changes you could make.

Balance doesn't form overnight, and forming new habits that create balance in your diet and lifestyle takes time. A new habit could be something as simple as placing a glass of water by your bed for morning, getting off the bus a stop early or parking slightly further away from your destination. It could also be taking a piece of fruit to work with you, and committing to eating it on your break, regardless of what else you eat. These things are simple- in fact they might even sound too easy. But in the end, lots of small, easy changes will lead to big changes overall, and the balance that you've been looking for every time you've muttered those dreaded words, 'I'm going on a diet.'

One final thing- absolutely NOBODY is perfect. Nobody gets it right 100% of the time. We all have not-so-great habits and flaws. What matters most is that we don't let setbacks stop us from trying.

The not-so-great habit I'm trying to break at the moment? Not demolishing an entire pack of Oreos in one sitting!