Not A Diet #NotADiet

Someone made a comment to me yesterday about how I can say I'm not on a diet, when I've lost almost 60 lbs in 5 months. I've been thinking about it a lot. 

In the true sense of the word, your diet is simply the food that you eat. But it also can mean a special kind of food or restricting the foods you eat in order to lose weight. That form of "diet" implies a lot of yo-yo-like ups and downs, with some form or food restrictions and being either "on a diet" or "off my diet" and "cheat days".

I wasn't healthy. I had to lose weight to get healthier. My body was suffering, my sleep was suffering, my energy was lacking, and I was on a very dangerous path with the potential complications from obesity. 

I *knew* I needed to do something to become healthier, but *nothing* was working - and it wasn't for lack of trying. 

This program forced me to face some hard truths about my nutrition. I now eat 6 times a day, and I don't skip meals. I don't ever go longer than 3 hours without eating. I drink 100oz+ of water each day. I am eating real food - no artificial colors/flavors/preservatives. I am learning portion sizes. I am not taking a wild assortment of supplements anymore (talk about throwing my body out of whack). I have balanced my nutrition with the exact right combination of macros (and I don't even have to think about or track it!). In fact, I almost never even think about food - I don't stress about it, and I don't feel restricted. 

As a result, my inflammation has decreased. My sleep has drastically improved. My energy is through the roof and I'm not feeling that afternoon slump. I created healthy habits for my schedule, and start my day with a morning routine, and wind down with an evening routine - every single day. I've reduced my time on electronic devices. My whole life has changed, because I finally feel hope for myself, hope for my health, hope for my future. 

I GAVE MYSELF PERMISSION TO TAKE CARE OF MYSELF, CREATE HEALTHIER HABITS AND MINDSETS, AND LEARNED THE TOOLS TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE.  

I stopped caring what other people think, because my health affects ME. I don't want to waste my time (or my health) on programs that restrict foods forever - whether it be eliminating certain types of food, or limiting when you can eat. Been there, done that, it didn't work. I made a choice to utilize this program to learn the habits of health, which translate to lifelong transformation - not just for my food and nutrition, but for every aspect of my life. 

If you have questions, don't be ashamed to reach out and talk to me. I won't pressure you, and there's no harm in learning more. Don't make assumptions based on google or whatever random stuff you see online - talk to me, I've done the program, I've seen the results, and I feel so strongly about the health benefits of it, I committed to share it with others. 

These habits are not a diet, but an entire upheaval to my nutrition. I can make healthy choices, or I can choose to intentionally make a not-so-healthy choice (and identify it as such), but I know how to navigate back to the healthy choices - and as long as I am making those choices intentionally, I know I am good! This program has been a total makeover of my mindset. 

THIS IS MY DEFINITION OF HEALTHY. 

I choose OPTIMAL HEALTH. 

I choose ME.

Not A Diet - Diet vs. Health