Don't Diet. Just Eat Well.

A few days ago, I talked about why exercising simply to lose weight is not enough. Exercise is something that needs to be incorporated into your life – it’s not something you should stop once you hit some random number on the scale. 

The same rule applies to nutrition. 

I used to diet when I wanted to lose weight. By that, I mean I would severely cut back what I was eating, feel hungry and miserable. Then, after losing a few pounds, I would go back to eating the way I did before the diet. Remarkably, I never kept the pounds off. 

Fortunately, this changed for me once I started working out. At first, my motivation wasn’t in the right place. When I first got started, I picked the hardest workout program I could find because I wanted to lose weight without changing my nutrition habits. Fortunately, I realized that at the very least, I needed control portion sizes - so that’s where I started.

By making that one simple change, I started to lose weight. I figured out about how many calories I should be eating, and adjusted my portions accordingly. Soon, I realized that the healthier my food choices were, the more food I could eat (thus avoiding hunger). I started to incorporate a wider range of vegetables and lean meats into our diets. I started buying quinoa and kale, and chose organic foods whenever possible.  I started drinking Shakeology – a high-nutrient shake – almost every afternoon because I learned that it kept me from snacking. Gradually over time, I made changes that improved my nutrition, I achieved my target weight, and I built muscle that makes me feel like I can take on the world.

And I didn’t diet.

Instead, I made changes that will last. My grocery cart looks very different than it did just one year ago. But I don’t feel deprived in the slightest. And, if we’re out at a restaurant or enjoying a special occasion, I feel free to indulge from time to time, because my fitness and nutrition fundamentals are sound.

That’s the goal, isn’t it? To develop good nutritional habits that you can live with over the long haul.