Kyle’s post on dieting inspired me to share some of my thoughts on the subject too. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of diets. A diet is, by definition, a restrictive practice that you do for a limited time. The implication is that you will stop dieting at some point and resume your normal eating behavior. When you do that you’ll just return to how you were and all that work will be for nothing.
The solution is to change the way you eat. You don’t want to diet and count calories for the rest of your life. You want to adopt a healthy lifestyle that lets you enjoy your food and enjoy life. The problem is that it’s hard to know where to get started.
The truth is, this is something I learn about every day. It’s something I’ve been learning about for the last decade – and every day I learn something new. Of all the things you are committed to in your life, your body should be at the top of that list. Make a commitment to yourself to learn how to live a healthy life.
The best book I have EVER read on this subject is called “How to Eat, Move, and Be Healthy” by Paul Chek. It’s about $16 on Amazon. I highly recommend it. More than any other piece of literature it’s deeply affected the way I think about food and health. Paul Chek is a really interesting guy too. Check out this interview he did recently.
[ photo: flickr ]
3 Comments
Well said: It is so important to hold your body's health at a high priority, and adapting a healthy lifestyle which allows you to enjoy food will help you achieve that goal. We like that you mention it's something you continue to learn each day. Learning benefits of a diet free lifestyle can improve one’s relationship with food, enhance acceptance of body shape and weight, and provide healthier thought patterns. These types of changes are much more likely to be sustainable and long term, therefore providing a balanced and healthy lifestyle, instead of a temporary non-solution.
If only more of the literature out there supported lifestyle changes instead of quick fix solutions…
If only more of the literature out there supported lifestyle changes instead of quick fix solutions…