Don't Say You're on a Diet

"Health requires healthy food." - Roger Williams

A diet alone won't help you lose weight. It may even make things worse for you. People who diet for a certain period of time, only to revert to their former eating habits once the diet is over, will put on even more weight than they've lost. Restricting your food intake slows your metabolism. As you deprive your body of calories and nutrients, it goes into starvation mode. You're setting yourself up for more weight gain: this is the 'rebound' effect. 

A diet should not be a temporary thing, something you do to lose a few kilograms or pounds, over a period of time. Much better and more effecting is a change of lifestyle. The word 'diet' actually means 'way of life'. It encompasses every aspect of eating, exercising, sleeping, as well as smoking and drinking. To have a healthy body within the normal weight range, you need to nourish it with healthy food. You are what you eat, so choose wisely what you decide to put into your body. If you eat junk food, you will become junk!

Exercise regularly, but don't do anything that you can't stick with long term. Choose a form of exercise that is moderate and that you find enjoyable. Your new habit needs to be sustainable. If you know you won't be able to go to the gym five days a week, then don't fool yourself into believing that you will do it. Be realistic about what you can do. It's better to walk for half an hour a day at your own pace, rather than pushing yourself too hard, and put yourself off exercising altogether.

A lifestyle is something you do for the rest of your life. An easy and sensible easy way to improve your diet is to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. Drink eight to twelve glasses of filtered water a day. Sleep at for at least seven to eight hours a night. If you don't sleep enough, your metabolism will become sluggish. You will be moody, volatile and less likely to resist temptation. 

Have a wholesome breakfast that includes complex carbohydrates, protein and fruit. Oat porridge with banana, nuts and seeds for instance, or poached eggs with tomato and parsley on wholemeal toast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, because it kickstarts your metabolism. Instead of three big meals a day, make it a habit to have five or six smaller ones. This will stabilise your blood sugar levels and give you sustained energy until bedtime. 

Avoid refined sugar and anything with hidden sugar in it, like muesli bars or even fruit juice. Sugar comes in a lot of disguises and has many different names. Just because you choose honey doesn't mean you don't eat sugar! It's the same thing. Honey may be more natural, but it is still sugar. Fructose and high fructose corn syrup are just as bad. Watch for names that end in 'ose' like maltose or dextrose: they all mean sugar.

Change can be frightening, so implement changes progressively. It works better to do things step by step, rather than trying to stick with drastic changes overnight. It took you a long time to develop unhealthy habits, so it will take you a while to undo them and replace them with healthy ones. But does it really matter? As long as you actually make these changes, there is no rush. 

This is your body, your health, your journey. Only you decide how you will do it, and how long it will take you to transform yourself. Start with one little thing, like eating an apple instead of an ice-cream. This will lead to the next thing and to the next, until you replace all your negative habits with positive ones!

With love,

Bella

Painting: 'Red Bell with Vase' by Debra Sisson

How to Stop Yourself from Eating Something That is Bad for You

Using the following six strategies, you can stop yourself from eating something that's bad or unhealthy for you:

1) Understand that all foods are okay, as long as they're eaten in moderation. A food high in sugar of fat is acceptable if it is considered an occasional treat. Some people find it hard to stop at one piece of cake though. They might end up eating the whole cake and more. These individuals need to stay away from problem foods altogether, at least in the beginning, while they're getting used to eating healthy. Like the alcoholic who can't pick up the first drink if he or she wants to remain sober, you may need to adopt an attitude of sobriety with your eating habits. Don’t pick up the first piece of cake if it leads you to binge and feel guilty afterwards.

2) Keep a journal of a food diary. At the beginning of the day, you can write down your goals, and what you intend to eat. You can be as specific as you need to regarding your food intake, and devise a plan for yourself to avoid mindless eating. A food diary keeps you on track because it makes you accountable for what you’re consuming on a daily basis. Be as detailed as possible: write down the time, what you were doing and thinking, how hungry you were, and what you had. Consistency is the key with a diary, so if possible don’t skip any entries. If you had a piece of cake, write it down and don’t feel bad about it. Guilt is totally useless, and it only leads to punishment and bingeing on  high calorie foods.

3) If you feel tempted to eat something that’s not part of your weight loss or health plan, you can use a delay tactic. You can say to yourself, “I can have this piece of cake now - if I choose too. Or I can decide to have it later, or tomorrow or whenever I choose to have it.” This is a very empowering thing to do, because it gives you back your freedom to choose. You are in control of what you’re doing, and if you decide to have this piece of cake, it’s your choice. But you can decide not to have it now, and postpone the decision.

4) If you really want to avoid eating that piece of cake, think in the future tense. Think about the consequences of your actions. If you give in to this craving, it might set you back with your eating plan. Wouldn’t it be better to have something nutritious and wholesome. If you crave sugar, have some fruit. Berries in particular work like magic as they are like lollies! Drink a lot of water. Cravings may be a sign of dehydration in disguise, and extra fluids can often fix the problem. But stick to water, or herbal teas without added sugar or milk.

5) Be in touch with your hunger feelings. Do you want to have this piece of cake because you’re hungry? Then you might need to reconsider your eating plan. Maybe you’re cutting your calories too low, and that’s why you’re experiencing this craving. Rate your hunger from zero to ten. If you’re close to ten, you may need to reconsider your overall food intake. Add some more complex carbohydrates like brown rice, wholemeal pasta, vegetables, beans and lentils to your meals. Eat enough to feel satisfied, without feeling bloated. If you eat enough protein, carbs and fat with every meal, you should not feel hungry in between meal. Make sure you include healthy snacks in your eating plan. A simple banana for instance can give you a lot of energy and eliminate cravings. Five or six small meals are better than three big ones.

6) Be in touch with your emotions, the way you feel. Do you want to eat because you feel stressed, frustrated, tired, angry or simply bored? In that case, do something nice for yourself. If you’re stressed, sit down and take a few deep breaths while relaxing your body. Have a glass of water. If you’re tired, switch off the noise and close your eyes for a few minutes. If you’re angry, ask yourself: “How important is this really?” Ask yourself how serious all the unpleasant things you’re experiencing now will be in  a few years’ time. And ask yourself how you will feel then, if you eat healthy now and look after yourself properly. If you’re bored, find something creative to do. Focus on something. Learn a new skill, like painting, drawing or playing a musical instruments. Do some puzzles, crosswords or sudoku. Watch a movie or TV show you enjoy. Go for a walk, play with your children or your pets.

If you decide to eat a piece of cake after all (or if you’ve already eaten it), then stick with your decision and don’t feel bad about it. Enjoy every single bite of it, without feeling guilty. Treats are okay, if eaten in moderation and not too often. There is nothing that you can't have, just be sensible about it! 

In my book “The Magic of Sensible Dieting”, I explain that it's important to include everything in your diet: carbs, protein, and fat. If you exclude an entire food group like carbohydrates, your diet is doomed to fail, as it will not be sustainable. Therefore, to classify foods as “good” or “bad” is not a good idea.  A food is not good or bad in itself: the occasional piece of cake is not inherently bad for you. It is only if you eat too much of it that it can become harmful. 

Painting: "Chocolate Cake" by Dominic Piperata