"The Diet Starts Tomorrow"

"The Diet Starts Tomorrow"... or does it? If this sounds familiar to you and/or has become your Sunday night mantra, this one is for you!
The first mistake in this mantra is the term diet. Using this word is your first step in letting yourself down. The word diet resembles:

• restriction
• protein
• fat free
• low carb
• starvation
• boring
• frustration
• low calorie
• tasteless

Does this list of adjectives sound fun to you? Does it sound realistic to maintain? Does it excite you? Didn't think so! So why would you put yourself through the torture of "committing" yourself to this word every Sunday (or whatever day you choose)? Is it a surprise to you that by the afternoon of "tomorrow" you have already broken your "diet" and given up on the rest of the week, only to redeclare your mantra the following Sunday?

This is my point friends. DIET'S DO NOT WORK! They set you up for failure and are unrealistic! I don't care if your diet choice is no sugar, high protein, carb fearing, hormone drops/injections, or pre- packaged meals. The fact is that they are all unlikely to be maintained for the remainder of your life. Sure, you may drop a few or many pounds originally, but what happens after you reach your goal? What happens after you eat a piece of bread? A grain of sugar? YOU GAIN IT ALL BACK, PLUS SOME!

So what next? What happens when you realize that protein is not the answer, carbs are not deadly, and sometimes sugar in the right form is necessary? What are you supposed to do now?

Having been someone who has tried every single diet ever written, from grapefruits to Adkins, trust me when I say that the only way to be happy and not food obsessed and miserable is to eat sensibly. Well obviously if it was as easy as that, obesity wouldn't be an epidemic in our country and fat loss supplements and diets wouldn't be the billion dollar industry it is. I know it is not easy and does not come naturally to most of you. But all I am asking is that you think about this and give it a try.

Start by deciding that you want to be healthy. That you want to age gracefully and not spend every morning taking cholesterol and blood pressure medication. That you don't want miss out on chasing your kids around in the park playing soccer. That you want to live a healthy life to be there for your children through their milestones in life. That you want to feel energized. That you don't want to have to worry about low bone density and dangerous falls when you are older. There are millions of more reasons such as these that do not have to do with looking good on the beach. Try to shift your focus and watch the weight fall off.

How?

By making ONE healthy decision, ONE meal, ONE workout, ONE day at a time!!!!

You know what foods are unhealthy and will not contribute to a nutritous meal. You know what foods will. Just start slowly focusing on all the yummy healthy foods you could be eating. Start with the foods on the perimeter of the supermarket and eat more of those foods than those in the isles.

In case you need a list, here you go:
Dairy - White cheeses, yogurt, milk,
Fruit - Any and all welcome
Protein - Chicken, turkey, lean beef, eggs, legumes
Carbs - Potatoes (not fried!), quinoa, cous cous, BROWN rice, whole wheat bread
Veggies - Any and all welcome

Balance your meals with a variety of these foods. Portion out your servings and don't eat till your stomach hurts.

On the odd occasion that you crave something sweet, then let yourself have it. Ask yourself if you want it because you are stressed? Bored? Upset? Anxious? Or, if you really do just need something sweet. Have a small piece of chocolate instead of a king-size candy bar. Have a mini frozen yogurt instead of an extra large ice cream with a million toppings.

Be we wise and be healthy. Focus on your well being. Take it one step at a time. Don't set huge long term goals, set smaller ones and accomplish them one at a time. You have to crawl before you can walk. So get out there and shop and order smart and make it your goal to get at LEAST 30 minutes of physical activity in each day. From there, depending on what your fitness level is to start off with, increase the frequency, intensity, time and types of activities you do. You may start off with a 30 min walk, and then a slow jog, and then a run. You may start off with lifting 3lb weights, then 5lb, then 10lb. You may start with a level 1 yoga class, then level 2, then level 3. Eventually all of these components will make up your 1 hr a day workout!

So, go out there and get started! Your healthy life filled with nutritious meals and exercise starts TODAY!

In Great Health,
Dani S.