Ditch the Diets

Choose a lifestyle that is sustainable for you. I personally have done the Mediterranean and Keto diets. Yes, I lost weight. But it was not sustainable for me to continue doing it for the rest of my life. The weight returned fast when I added the things I had eliminated from those diets. The yoyo cycle of weight loss and weight gain causes havoc on your body. Not only do you put a strain on your organs, but you strain your mental health. You feel defeated, upset, frustrated, and shameful.

So how do you find what works for you? Honestly, you are already doing it. You need to tweak it and work on your mental health with food. You need to retrain your brain that the cake is not bad. You can have cake, cookies, french fries, pasta, and pizza.

Ditch diets! Start listening to your body and be mindful when eating. Stop shaming yourself for eating something that has been labeled as BAD. Stop restricting certain foods from your eating. The restriction only leads to bingeing.

Sit down, do not multitask while eating, pay attention to chewing, and chew your food thoroughly. It aids in digestion and slows down your intake. The proper chewing will have you eating a smaller portion and your brain and gut speaking to each other, telling you when you are satiated before overeating.

Add more color and diversity to your meals. We are lacking in several nutrients by not eating a multitude of fruits and vegetables. Take a stroll through the produce section of the market and just grab as many as you can. The more diversity you can get in each meal will have you feel great. Say you really want a burger, eat the burger and add some veggies to it. Put some form of green, bok choy leaves, lettuce, mustard greens, and kale are just a few suggestions. Then add a tomato slice, a slice of onion, bell pepper, or if you like, spice some jalapenos and a pickle. Look at all that diversity and color. All those flavors together will be exploding in your mouth. Your taste buds will be beserk, making you crave more variety in every meal.

If you want fries with that burger, go for it. You can have those fries. If you are feeling adventurous, make your own fries. Cut up some potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, carrots, jicama, and rutabaga, and season with some olive oil and your favorite seasonings. Throw those babies in your air fryer, toaster oven, or conventional oven and toast them. Strong Roots mixed root vegetable fries are an excellent option for those new to cooking. Here is a link to see where you can find them in your area. https://g.co/kgs/gkHj58

Now, look at that one meal. Really look at all the diversity within that burger and fries. You made a few changes that give you a multitude of nutrients and vitamins that tastes amazing. In that one meal, you got over a dozen different vegetables.

All those vegetables are filled with fiber. Fiber aids in proper stool expulsion. EWWW, I know, but poop is important. The more fiber we can get in our diets will aid digestion, weight, glucose levels, and blood pressure, all through, yep, you guessed it, poop. It also feeds all those microbiomes within your gut. Those microbiomes are amazing when appropriately nurtured. You can even lose weight by eating more fiber. Now that doesn't mean going to the extremes and adding in so much fiber that it is too much.

Move your body. Go for a quick walk, do some yoga outside, meditate, take the stairs, and park in the back of the parking lot. There are several simple things you can do to get moving more. After some time, it will become a habit.

Now you do not need to incorporate all these all at once, becoming overwhelmed and giving up. Start with one change. Try your best to do it as often as possible and after you have successfully incorporated that into your lifestyle, add another. Before you know it, you will feel better and want to add more. Please be mindful while doing any of this. As a person with an addiction to extremes, it can be very easy to fall into that mindset. Take the time to reflect on your choices, habits, and mental health.

Last but not least, slap that bitch sitting on your shoulder yelling at you for having that dessert or fast food. Yes, she is coming from a place of wanting to keep you safe but needs to chill out. Take in what she says, tell her you hear her, it is ok to have a treat now and then, and you will not be shamed for it. Go slow and remember this is a process, not a quick fix.

💖,

The Wellness Blondie