Ah! Not another diet!

​Avoid Dieting Make Positive Changes Instead   

​"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result"

​The "D" word. You know what I'm talking about. Diet. The word is enough to conjure a torrent of emotions and thoughts with it. What a powerful word it is.  Ever tried to diet and fail? I'd imagine that's probably a fair percentage of people. But you know, that's actually something we have in common, yet it's something we're made to feel failures at. Constantly bombarded with sneaking marketing campaigns, lured in to try yet again. Have we learnt yet that these fad diets simply do not work?  Dieting is the kiss of death for many but a new attitude or lifestyle adjustment may be just the thing that will mean success for your health goals.
 
Eating for some is an addiction. Unfortunately, you can't exactly give up eating all together as with most addictions.  I'm not implying that giving up an addiction is easy but how much more difficult not to mention emotionally painful would it be if you were forced to just curb the addiction. Reign it in a little?  We must eat in order to survive. It's a fact that cannot be denied. This means that if food is a problem in your life, a healthier way of viewing food.
 
Isn't this where diets generally come in handy? The short answer is no. This is where diets often fail. Diets do very little to change how we view and how we feel about food. In fact, most diets only serve to tell us which foods are good, which foods are bad, and which foods (typically, most of the foods we enjoy most) are strictly taboo. Diets begin by forcing people to feel deprived or punished. And no one likes to feel either of these things.
 
How much to we beat ourselves up when we "fall off the wagon"? The negative self talk that whispers to us making us feel guilty, feel less that what we are?  The emotions of every little misdemeanor made pushing us to the point of well-I-might-as-well. Failed again, having given up, stuffing down the emotions.
 
Lifestyle change. Heard this before. Easier said than done. However, it's really the only way change is ever going to happen. As Einstein allegedly said "to keep doing the same thing is the definition of insanity". So this is what must be done. I've resigned myself to that. This is the only way that we will be able to shed that unwanted weight.
 
So how do I propose to do that? I've set goals for myself. Realistic goals for health, fitness,  without deprivation. How about you join me? Set some goals. Even if your goal is as simple as eating  5 vegetable servings a day it is a great place to start. What else have I done? I've made a commitment to myself.  
 
As I've gotten older, my body requires different things. When I was younger I could eat pretty much anything and get away with it. Of course, I was far more active then too. However I've had to change my eating. I can no longer tolerate wheat or dairy. It's been had to give up cheese, I can tell you! But I did it. I no longer crave it. It's easy to say change the way to seeing food, but it's difficult to change the way we feel about food. Let's face it, it was a comfort for us from infancy. We're conditioned to find it comforting.
 
Changing the way of eating, is what has brought the biggest changes. As a meditation facilitator I believe anything can be a meditation. And so that is what I have begun to do. The preparation of the food as a ritual, to honour body, mind & spirit. Before eating "Itadakimasu" the Japanese thank-you for the food that goes as far as thanking the spirit that becomes a part of us. Yes, even the plants. Connecting in like this has given me a profound shift in the way I view & feel about food. Eating with care. Savouring each bite. Slowing down eating means that the digestive process works better too. A win-win in my opinion!
 
The plate I used to eat off was a large dinner plate. They make them so big these days. Now I eat off a bread & butter plate. One meal a day is eaten as a family at the dinner table. I love this time to chat & check-in with other members about what their up to, what they're thinking and feeling. I know it's not always possible to do this with our busy lifestyles, but if you can include a family dinner (or your family of choice) even once a week it can be tremendously supportive & nurturing.
 
What is your goal? For me the goal is not weight-loss per se. It's health, vigor & being able to move through my life with ease. Consistency is vitally important when making these lifestyle changes. Now when my daughter says" can we play Let's Dance on the Wii?" I say, "Yes!" On days when I've felt low, you know those days I mean. The days when you just don't want to move, feeling so disconnected, so foggy within. Those are the days I have to force myself to go for a walk, to just move. I really think the key is to learn, to believe, to know that I am worthy of this life & I matter. And you know what? So do you.  I had a breakthough in that regard (if you’re interested my article is in Celestial Dust e-zine).

​Take each day as it comes and begin again the very next day anew. Even if you fall off the proverbial wagon today, you can start over tomorrow. Set your goals, use a vision board for it. Vision boards are a great way to stay on track.
                                                         
So for all the fad diets I've ever failed, making positive changes gets positive results. It may time to reach your goal, infact I guarantee it. But it's the journey & not the destination that makes us who we are. Want to share your journey with me? Post below :)