The Un-Diet

Lately I've been having a lot of people ask me "Are you on a diet?" when they see me bring my lunch to work or when I refuse sweets at the office. It has made me realize what a skewed perspective we have on our own diets and how some people perceive healthy eating as being on a restrictive, no fun, calorie cutting, depressing diet. Don't get me wrong, I love my treats. But I think when treats become the norm and not "every once in a while" is when we have to step back and take a hard look at our eating habits. For a while my body was on a sugar craving cycle- I would immediately crave sugar after a meal. I had just finished a meal, and yet, my body was asking for another hit of sugar. I started to look a little closer at what I was eating and realized that the combo of what I was eating during the day had me on a little sugar roller coaster. First I was up, then I was down, then I was up...

So now I am taking charge and refusing to have all the cookies, cupcakes and delicious treats that people bring to the office each day. Cookies at home are pretty much non-existent, and treats that are not really worth it- get tossed into the trash. Harsh, I know- but it has helped a lot. And yes, I still indulge every now and then, but for the most part it is keeping them out of the norm that has helped me the most. Keeping myself focused on the the week has also helped a lot. Wiping off each day as a clean slate for bad food behaviors has gotten me into trouble in the past. Now I clump each week together and "treats" are more of special occasion.

I'm not being restrictive, I'm not denying myself. I'm changing my lifestyle. I feel that if I say I am on a "diet"- it implies that eventually I'll be OFF the diet. So really it is all about a lifestyle change and making improvements in my eating and exercise routines. The un-diet.