I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this ever since I heard someone say “healthy diet” (as many people do).
I am one of thousands who has come to the conclusion that diets don’t work and I have vowed not to diet anymore (although I struggle with this sometimes because of the years of dieting and brainwashing in my past).
I absolutely hate, to the point of loathing, the word diet. It is a dirty four letter word for me and I run in the opposite direction every time I hear it. I know for some that may seem extreme but it’s honestly how I feel. The word diet brings so many negative connotations to my mind. When I hear diet, I hear:
- restriction
- excessive water drinking
- weighing (not only everything you eat but your own body)
- measuring (again, not only everything you eat but your own body)
- good vs. bad (me, my behavior, certain foods, etc….)
- calorie counters
- food labels
- weekly weigh ins
- blind faith in someone else’s plan for me
- disappointment (in me and in the diet)
- feeling less than
- people trying to bribe me to do better
Yes, it is extreme…how I feel about that little four letter word. It probably sounds pretty silly to some. Maybe after some time of deprogramming myself, I will get to the point where it doesn’t bother me but right now, the words “healthy diet” are like an oxymoron to me. The two just don’t go together. Hear me out…..please.
I think most of us have lost sight of what “healthy” means. We all know what “diet” means and those pushing diets would like for all of us to believe that their diet is healthy. This is where common sense should come in. Notice I said, “should” come in. Not all diets are healthy and I would even go so far as to say 99% of all diets are not healthy for a majority of people.
When I type about intuitive eating/living, I’m really talking about living a life of common sense based on YOUR body. These diets that are being touted as the best thing since sliced bread are made up for the masses and do not take into account that everyone is different.
Common sense and intuition tells me that if I want a good night’s rest without my stomach cramping like crazy, I avoid eating corn. If I want to sleep through the night and not get up to pee six times a night, I stop drinking liquids around 8:00 or so. If I don’t want a severe headache, I don’t eat sugar to the point of fullness.
Just as WRT2 uses a common sense approach to her diabetes, we all should use common sense and intuition to fulfill our body’s needs…not only in what we eat but in the amount of rest we get and the amount of motion and activity we incorporate into our lives.
However, I’d like to expound on something here. When your body has medical needs, nothing changes. You still need to listen to it. I believe with all my heart that you do what is necessary to take care of yourself and if that means frequent doctor visits, becoming more knowledgeable of your condition by researching, exercising more or less than you would like or even avoiding or eating certain foods to maintain a healthy body, then that’s what you do. Period. Again, I’m talking about common sense here.
I honestly believe we have been overthinking this food thing. I know I have. My life, for so many years, consisted of food logs, weigh ins, cooking certain foods certain ways and doing things I hated because I was so focused on dieting and not focused enough on just living. Dieting takes an awful lot of effort and the results are rarely positive so why not resort to common sense instead. Common sense really shouldn’t take us a lot of effort or thought (like being on a diet would).
In my opinion, diets are not healthy so I challenge you all to rethink your healthy diet. If you’re on a “healthy diet”, are you still really dieting but sugar coating it (no pun intended) and trying to fool yourself into thinking you’re really not? Are you listening to your body or are you loosely following a diet you’ve used in the past? Are you still reading labels? Is there a medical reason you are being so strict in your food choices or is this the result of years of brainwashing?
In closing, I want to use my favorite quote a friend of mine taught me: “Give yourself some grace.” Live your life and love yourself. Trust your body to tell you what it needs. It will tell you if you open up to the possibilities.
~sas
No comments:
Post a Comment