Get out of the cycle of on again, off again diets.  If you want lasting health, make sustainable lifestyle changes instead.

To me dieting feels like punishment. Forceful changes because you aren’t doing good enough before. Losing weight because you think you should look a certain way. But what if there was a different way with a little mindset shift. 

I mean why are you really dieting anyways? You may say to lose weight, but I bet it goes deeper than that. What are your real reasons?  What are the ones tied to societal pressures or programming?  What are the positive reasons you want to make change?  These could be to sleep better, have more energy, live longer, spend more quality time with loved ones, the list goes on and on.  

If you have been dieting in a way that feels like punishment then you can look at lifestyle changes as taking care of yourself because you deserve to be taking care of.  See that mindset shift?

I mean what does diet mean anyways?  It is the food and drink you have consistently.  Diet culture adopted it into this false definition (and so did the dictionaries)  of what you are eating when you are trying to lose weight or regulate your intake but really it is more than that.  It isn’t just that 7 day cleanse or 30 day program, it’s what you eat over the course of a year or even a lifetime. 

The best way to do this sustainably is make small changes in the right direction.  Little shifts that get you closer to where you want to be.  As one thing becomes habitual you can add in another and another.  You can also see if something isn’t working and shift as you go.

My diet has changed over the years.  I have tried different things and listened to my body to see what it needed.  I’ve followed advice that worked and advice that didn’t work.  I’ve been a vegetarian and eaten meat depending on the knowledge I had and what felt good in my body.

When I first started on this health journey, I decided to cut out meat and I felt so much better.  At this time, I was starting to slowly buy more organic foods and less processed foods.  I was putting an emphasis on a wide array of plants in my diet.  I was also cutting back on my previous two main food groups: dairy and wheat.  I didn’t cut them out completely but I was seeing how I felt if I ate less.

I started feeling better.  Little by little I was noticing improvement.  I’m sure it was due to a combination of things but mostly just shifting away from the standard American diet. 

About 5 years later, and after two pregnancies, I felt I needed a shift again.  I was having trouble converting non-heme iron into a usable source in my body and so I was called to add some meat back in.  I had also done a gut test that showed I didn’t handle a lot of legumes well so I was finding it harder to eat the more restrictive my vegetarian plate got.  When the test showed I shouldn’t be eating chickpeas, lentils, pinto beans, white beans and more it became a challenge for me and I had two kids under two.  I needed to feel good, have energy and so I made the hard decision to add meat and fish into my routine of eating.  I started slow and I still to this day only eat grass-fed/free range/no hormones/no antibiotics meat from companies and farms I trust and wild caught fish.

I opened myself up to less restrictions but focused on taking care of myself with the foods I ate.  I removed gluten because it does not make me feel good but if I really want something, I let myself have it.  Usually only to regret it later when I start feeling bad but I’m not going to hold on so tight that it feels restrictive.  I know I want to take care of myself and that isn’t the best way to do so, right now.  Hopefully that will change some day and you better believe, the next time I’m in France you will catch me at the boulangerie buying a freshly baked baguette. 

I have food flexibility and food freedom because I decided to no longer follow trends.  I’ve learned to try new things and pivot when needed.  I like to cook and eat and so I know if I make delicious and nourishing meals healthy I feel satisfied after eating and not like I’m missing out on anything. 

One thing to note, I do not eat a lot of processed foods and there are things I do not eat at all but I don’t really consider these foods.  I do not eat high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners or anything that looks like a chemical shit storm when you read the back of the label.  I focus on real foods that naturally taste good.  They don’t have to be created and tested in a lab with a bunch of food scientists trying to get the right parts of your brain to light up so you keep coming back for more.  That’s not satisfaction, that’s hijacking your brain.  So I encourage you to revisit my first Health Aligned tip, read ingredients and focus on real whole foods.

As always, if you ever need a little help or want someone to hold your hand (figuratively speaking) on this health journey, I’m here for you.  Just contact me here.

I’m rooting for you.

P.S.  If you want to start to make healthy lifestyle changes but find it hard to get meals on the table.  Fill out the form below to get my free guide:  8 Time Saving Tips- every busy woman needs!