Thoughts on Diet Trends

I often get asked my thoughts on new trending diets. I always preface my response with this- 1) I don't keep up with all things health. I have my education and I have my resources. Half the time I haven't even heard of the new diet plan so-and-so is asking about. 2) I have not tried out every trending diet. I judge diets based on my education and personal beliefs about health.

You've probably heard about dozens of diet plans. Many are very similar with a few slight differences. Programs like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, South Beach, and other similar plans all have different names, but come down to the same principle: eat correct potions. They're not about counting calories, but understanding portion sizes. Diets like Medifast, Nutrisystem, SlimFast, and other similar programs are about rapid weight loss using restricted calories. Plans like Paleo and Atkins are mostly based on high protein, low carb diets.

So how do you choose a diet that's right for you? My number one answer is to write down your reason for choosing a diet. Are you looking to lose 5lbs or 50lbs? Are you trying to improve your overall health or are you trying to look good in a bikini? Are you recovering from an injury/pregnancy? Are you experiencing digestive issues? Did you doctor give you a specific goal? Why are you changing your eating habits?

Different diets are good for different things. Some diets are healthy to be on long term and some are hazardous to be one for longer than a week! Some are great for diabetics, others could kill them. That's why knowing your reason for changing is so important.

My second tip for choosing a diet is to talk with a health professional. Talk to someone who is well acquainted with the options available and can explain the pros and cons. Be sure that what you are doing is safe and healthy. What we put into our bodies is VERY important and the decision should not be taken lightly. A diet can have long term effects on your body, both for the good and for the bad. Be certain that the diet you choose it the correct one for your goal.

Finally, here are some other general guidelines.

• Do NOT go on a very low calorie diet without a doctor's okay. We're talking anything restricting your caloric intake to below 1200 calories a day. 
• I'm not saying low calories diets are no-no's. I'm saying you need to be smart and you need to be safe. If you are looking to lose 5-10lbs, there are MUCH better ways than starving yourself. If you're looking to lose a significant about of weight, talk with a doctor before making any drastic changes to your lifestyle. 
• You should shoot for losing 1-2lbs a week. Any more than that could be dangerous. Get the green lights from your doctor or health professional before starting anything extreme.
• Same as above. Losing more than 1-2lbs a week isn't a no-no. You just want to be safe.
• Don't choose a diet that cuts out a major food group. Our bodies need proteins, carbs, and fats to survive. They all have a place in our diet. You have change the percentage, but don't cut one out completely. 
• Be realistic. This is always a rule. If you LOVE chocolate, don't go on a no-chocolate diet. You won't stick to it. Plan for "once a week treat" or a "free day".
• This rule does not apply to allergies or toxins. If you have an allergy, that food is going to hurt your body, no matter how much you like to eat it. Toxins are always bad for you. Try to avoid them completely.

And to finish off this discussion, here's MY top diet tip. Don't spend your life on a diet. Diets aren't meant to be long term. They are meant to reach a specific goal. Once you reach that goal, make choices that you will stick with for life. Eat more real food and less processed food. Clean eating is the best choice you can make for your body. You will see immediate improvements and you will see long term improvements. Your body will thank you.

Realistic Goals

Today we're going to discuss setting realistic goals. I'm all about goal setting. If you have an end goal and a plan of action, you are WAY more likely to get up and do something to change your lifestyle than if you simply complain about the change you want to see. Writing down a goal and creating a plan of action is a commitment to yourself. It says that you've put in the effort to think about it, now you just need to do it.

Yesterday while surfing through fitness "inspiration" on Pinterest, I came across this little how-to on motivation. Now, normally when I see motivational thoughts on Pinterest, I just roll my eyes because no matter how much you diet and exercise, you can't go back to having a  pre-pubescent body. It kills me to see a mother of four pinning "motivational quotes" with a teenage girl posing in the background. But this one I actually agree with.

Since the list is pretty self explanatory, I'm not going to go into detail about these motivations. The only one I'd like to address is number 2: hanging a picture of what you want to look like. This idea can be a great motivation, but it can very easily be a tools for obsession. Like I said yearly, it kills me to see a mother pinning pictures of teenage girls, wishing they could look the way they did in when they played high school sports and had the metabolism of a hummingbird.

So here's my tip: be realistic. I'm not saying that you need to accept those last 10 lbs or that you should give up on your body. I'm saying that you need to be realistic in your goals. You need to have an honest sit down with yourself and lay out your priorities. You need to decide how much time during the week you can devote to your body without sacrificing your other priorities. For example, if you devote 4 hours a day to the gym, what will that mean for your social wellness? Can you honestly take away that time from family or friends? What will it mean to your loved ones?

I do not support the idea of comparison when it comes to body image. You should not compare yourself to anyone else's body. That includes your past body! There are SO many influences that change our bodies over time. We are women. We have hormones. Eating changes them, exercise changes them, love changes them, pregnancy changes them, talking changes them. stress changes them, environmental influences change them... Sometimes these hormones are beyond our control, as are their effects on our individual bodies. And hormones are just one piece of the puzzle that creates our beautiful bodies.

What I'm trying to say is that maybe a better option to hanging up a picture and comparing yourself to someone else would be to choose something real. Are you trying to lose weight for health reasons? Talk with a health professional about how much to lose. Getting your weight to a healthy place can decrease risk of heart disease, certain cancers, and joint pain. Are you training for a race? Chart your mileage or map out a course. Are you trying to lose weight to get pregnant? Lowering your body weight by 10% can restart your menstrual cycle. Are you simply trying to look better? Instead of hanging up a picture, hang up a pair of pants that is one size down. One size is realistic. One size is doable.

Don't obsess over attaining someone else's perfect body. Choose today to never compare your body to someone else's. Set a real goal, one that can be reached. And once you reach that goal, set a new one. Rome wasn't built in a day. Health is achieved one step at a time. Weight is lost one pound at a time. And success is reached one goal at a time.

One Size Does NOT Fit All

In today's society, there are to many different influences contributing to our view of body image. Unfortunately, most of these influences contribute to a distorted view of body image. Influences like Hollywood, advertisements, super models, magazines, Victoria's Secret angels, even Pintrest, teach women that there is one way to look to be considered beautiful, and that one way is NOT how you look now. It doesn't particularly matter what you look like, but it's wrong. Unless you have a perfect size 2 frame with some perky C cups, you are not beautiful.

This is a major pet peeve of mine, the idea that one size fits all. Who gets the right to define beauty with a size? The Webster dictionary defines beauty as "the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit". Where in that definition does it say anything about size? NOWHERE! Where in that definition does it even address the body as a tool to measure beauty with? NOWHERE! Beauty is not defined by a number. It is defined as a quality that "exalts the mind or spirit".

So ladies, stop striving to achieve someone else's ideal body. Stop envying your sister's booty or your best friend's waistline. Stop coveting your neighbor's backside or your personal trainer's arms. And for goodness sake, stop comparing yourself to Pintrest! 

There are two points I want you to take home today. The first is that your beauty is not tied to your pant size. Your beauty comes from within. It comes from the person you choose to be each day. It comes from the love you give to family and friends, the compassion you share with those in need, and the kindness you show to strangers. Beauty is who you are, not what you look like. To be beautiful is to exalt what is inside of you. To exalt that wonderful worth you possess.

The second point is that you should strive for your optimal body. Note I did not say your ideal body, but your optimal body. As we've discussed in previous posts, that means more than just being in incredible shape. Optimal means performing at it's best. Your body will perform at it's best when it is fueled with the best foods, given appropriate rest, and used for a greater purpose. As a mother, I don't need the body of an Olympian. I need a body that can chase after a toddler, lift a truck full of groceries, and bend behind the refrigerator. I need a body that can deal with emotional and physical stress brought on by building a family. That is my optimal because that is my purpose.

So today, take some time to consider these two things. Consider what you can do to exalt your mind and spirit. Look at the most precious parts of your soul and bring those parts to life! Let the world see how wonderful you truly are! Consider what is your optimal body. What do you need your body to be able to do? Don't think in numbers and sizes, think about your purpose in life. What is most important to you and how can your body help you achieve greatness in that area? Most importantly, allow your body to manifest the wonderful worth you carry inside.

You are the Voice She Hears

This was not the blog I was planning on writing today, but I have a feeling this one will be better. I've seen this link (When Your Mother Says She's Fat)  floating around the web lately and finally had time to read it this morning. Fantastic article. I just had a similar conversation with my mother.

The conversation I had with my mom was about how a mother's voice is what a daughter hears in her head. The things a mother says about herself are the things her daughter are going to say somewhere down the road. When I voiced this opinion to my mom, her response was "Oh dear." As a mom, I understand her fear. I never want to hear my daughter say some of the things I say about myself! I never want to see my daughter stand in front of a mirror and pinch every inch of fat! I never want to hear my daughter say that she is ugly! And I definitely do not want her to equate ugly with fat!

Fat is a measure of body mass! Ugly is defined as unpleasant or repulsive. A person's actions make them ugly, not their body mass! Most of the women I know do not fall within the optimal weight provided by the BMI chart. These women are also beautiful and talented and smart and wonderful! Their weight does not define them, nor does yours!

Ladies, whether or not you are a mother, the words you say about yourself matter. They matter because you are not the only one who hears them. If I can't convince you to say nice things about yourself because you deserve to hear them, then say nice things about yourself so that others can hear them. Especially if you have children, be kind to yourself. Your daughters will become like you. Your sons will marry someone like you. If you want your children to grow up strong and confident, lead them by example. Become strong and confident yourself. Believe that you are beautiful. Believe that you are wonderful. Believe that you are of worth.

P.S.- I strongly encourage that you read this article. It is written from the daughter's point of view, showing how her mother's words affected her idea of body image. It doesn't matter what stage in life you're in, we could all be a bit kinder to ourselves.

P.P.S.- To any men that might have stumbled across this post, be kind to the women in your life. Tell your mother that she is beautiful. Tell your sister, your grandma, your neighbor. Most importantly, tell your wife that she is remarkable, outstanding, breath-takingly beautiful. Always look at her the way you did on your wedding day. Never stop telling her. And NEVER tell her that she is fat and ugly!