Vanity Over Health?
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Let me guess…. you think I don’t understand what it is like to want to lose weight. You think I looked fit my whole life, and that I simply don’t know what it feels like to want the weight off now. Well, it’s not true. That being said, I have never been obese and I’m sure at my heaviest I would only be seen as “slightly” chubby, if that. But that does not mean I didn’t want to look better and feel amazing like all the skinny girls. And honestly, if you want to hear a true story about me and Emotional Eating in my bluest days, do listen to the Earn That Body Podcast Episode #124 (CLICK HERE!)
In those days when I craved be super skinny, I tried all the diets too. My graduate school roommate and I did the Cabbage Soup Diet. That must of lasted about 24-48 hours! Then, we both moved on to Weight Watchers. Definitely a bit more successful with the program, but it ended too; and years later I tried the Atkins Diet. That was a hoot! It said I could eat all the fat I wanted (cheese, bacon, etc.) and diet orange soda!!!! Yep! A full on chemical sh!t storm in a bottle….THAT is what you were told to drink! It’s amazing the things you will try just to look skinny. By the way the Atkins Diet probably lasted about 3 days for me as I had never felt worse in my life and could not even finish a cycle class due to the fatigue…and YES, Atkins is basically a KETO diet (CLICK HERE for Keto Diet Podcast Info).
As you can see, I get it. I know why you want to lose the weight, and I know you want it to come off fast. But how many of these diets are you going to do and fail at before you realize that you can’t continue to sacrifice your health for speedy weight loss. We live in a time that you can see everyone posting about their latest and greatest diet (that they want you to try for the low price of X) or the fastest weight loss program around (based on zero REAL research). You keep thinking you are missing out! You have FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) on all these diet trends. Your friends might lose weight and leave you with the muffin top. But don’t worry! They will gain all that weight back and more. I would put money on it.
I think what is amazing me more than anything is the fact that people are truly putting their health in jeopardy for the sake of losing weight “quickly”. For example, the KETO diet has no long-term research. So, if you want to put your body in a state of ketosis for long periods do you know what type of harmful impact that could have on your health eventually? Of course, you don’t…. because that research is not around yet. According to Jillian Michaels’ new book on Aging (The 6 KEYS: CLICK HERE to view book!); putting the body under a constant state of stress (like in the Keto diet which she is very much against) can literally AGE YOUR CELLS! So, you might lose some weight, but then, you can trade that for a shorter lifespan.
Is it really all worth it? Of course not! Not to mention the endless days of feeling like a failure because you can’t follow through with any of those crazy diets because they are so extreme! Thankfully your body actually tries to hijack your ways by making you EAT for survival. Why do you think you feel the need to often binge eat during those diets? Your body is desperate for calories.
So, when does it change? How did I make the shift? I can tell you this, it was not a fad diet that gave me the body I have today. And if you ask most fit people what they do to look that good, it’s not usually a FAD DIET. I learned how to eat REAL FOOD in a balanced way. I reduced the processed sugar dramatically. I limit my alcohol intake. And I studied nutrition to understand what a healthy balance of fats, carbohydrates and protein really looks like. This in combination with consistent exercise helped me transform my body and maintain it for the last 14 years. (Do listen to the Earn That Body Podcast about MACROS (Episode #122: CLICK HERE) if you want to understand more about fat/protein/carbohydrate balancing & get the FREEBIE PDF to help you at www.shockthatbody.com/macros.
What’s the best part about truly getting your dietary needs met in a healthy way? You feel amazing. And that feeling makes you want to continue eating that way. Unlike the extreme fad diets that leave you feeling shaky, fatigued, foggy in the head, weak, angry, depressed…oh and you know…. the HANGRY!
It is my mission, my quest and a movement I want to start for ALL people to SHUT THE DIET UP! Do you like that title (ha!) Get on board with taking care of your body and it will take care of you. Stop falling for the next ridiculous way of eating that will help you shed pounds fast, and start spreading the word that there is only ONE way to live a healthy life and lose weight—by eating a balanced, healthy diet and getting in consistent exercise. It’s the ONE way to get fit/healthy that will NOT be disproven in long term research to harm you, your body or your life.
If any part of this blog resonated with you today, please give it a share! Help me spread the word. Because the ones who will suffer next if we don’t get a grip on this is our children and teenagers. Let’s not watch them suffer through their generation with unhealthy eating habits and a grossly misunderstood way of life. Now go eat a healthy meal :) Enjoy it, savor it and appreciate all your body does for you.
