Spring has officially sprung, which means it’s that time of year again – it seems like every woman I’ve talked to lately has just started or is about to go on a diet (on Monday, of course). As I wrote about in the last Fed Up blog post, I myself am on a mission to get myself healthy. One aspect of that includes losing a significant amount of weight. However, there are a few things I’m not going to do. I’m not going to crash diet. I’m not going to count a single calorie. I’m not going to punish myself at the gym for 2 hours every day. I’m not going to give up my social life and become a hermit for the sake of getting in shape.
So what exactly is my plan?
I’ve decided that this is the year I fall completely, head over heels in love with myself.
The war against my body is over. The war against food is over. I’m done fighting cravings. I’m done stressing out over things and people I can’t change. I’m done binge drinking on the weekends to help me forget the week that I spent doing things I didn’t truly love. That was the old me, this is the new me, and she’s going to be making some changes.
While there isn’t a specific set of rules I’m going to follow this year, there are a few general guidelines I’ve gleaned from various experts in the health & wellness field. Most traditional diet plans focus on the what and the how much of eating, which is important, but they fail to include the why, when, where, and with whom aspects. All of those factors combined make for a much easier and much more pleasurable weight loss process.
So, here is my guideline list for the year:
Eat real food, when it’s in season. That means I’ll be at the various Chicago farmer’s markets a lot, stocking up on fresh, local produce. If it was made in lab, has 10,000 ingredients and 5 health claims on the front, it’s not for me.
Happy food makes for a happy Samantha. Conventionally produced produce is loaded with pesticides and chemicals, which my body then has to detox. No thanks. I’ll get my food from local farmers who lovingly tended their fields. The same goes for animal products. Factory farmed food has no place on my table.
Eat only when I’m hungry + the kitchen closes at 6:00 PM. So often I find myself eating because I’m supposed to, I’m stressed out, or I’m bored. No more. And, the kitchen closes at 6:00 PM to give my body a chance to rest and properly digest and absorb the food.
Exercise is my friend. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate to exercise. I could eat kale 24/7/365 but getting me to move my body is like pulling teeth. I’m going to start slow, with a daily walk and stretching and yoga a few times a week. That’s it. I hope to someday do a triathlon, but I’ll build up to that.
That’s my list, and I’m much more excited about this strategy than any other diet I’ve ever been on. No calorie counting, no deprivation, no guilt, just straight up loving and lots of good food. It’s time to stop dieting and start living!