My oh my, the word "diet" is probably the most misunderstood word in the English language. I wouldn't be so passionate about it if it weren't the cause of so much confusion and heart (or belly) ache in our society. The truth is, the best "diet" is no diet. You'll see what I mean.
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines the word "diet" as habitual nourishment, or the food and drink consumed regularly. So, in all honesty, EVERYONE IS ON A DIET because everyone eats and drinks everyday! It's a habit none of us can break (if we want to live, that is). Now that we all know what a diet is, lets take a look at the hype over "dieting".
There's the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, the low-carb diet, the I'm not going to eat anything after 7 PM diet, the no sugar diet, and many many more diets. I'm not going to say that these diets have never worked for anyone. I'm sure on occasion they do work for a few people, but I'm here to argue that the best "diet" is no diet. The truth is, your body is different than anyone else's body. What works for someone else is probably not going to be the perfect fit for you. So let's take a break from dissecting our diets down to exactly what someone else tells us is right for us to eat. Instead, lets follow a few helpful guidelines and allow our bodies to tell us what they need.
For example, I have done a diet analysis (a program tells you how many calories and various nutrients you are getting from the food you eat) on myself several times. EVERYTIME it tells me that I am not eating enough calories. However, I eat enough food everyday to feel satisfied (not stuffed full to the breaking point). I eat a variety of foods, including foods I know are healthy for me, and foods that I thoroughly enjoy that might not be the most healthy foods. I have a healthy relationship with food (meaning I am not stressed about what I eat, or constantly afraid of gaining weight). I am overall pretty satisfied with my diet. So, should I start eating more calories because the diet analysis says so? Probably not. My body is different than the stereotype they have set up in their computer program. My body is telling me that it is satisfied, and I listen.
Now, you are probably wondering, "How on earth do I figure out what my body is telling me?" Well, it starts with being smart. Okay, you probably know deep down inside if you are eating more calories than you should on a daily basis. If you know, STOP! If you don't, calorie count for awhile (to do this you can use http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/. You will need to create an account, but don't worry, it's free), then your body will start to get used to the proper food intake (it takes time because your stomach needs to shrink back down to it's proper size). Hopefully you will be able to tell then when you are eating well.
Some of you might be worried that you can't trust your body. Well, sometimes I feel that way, too. Here's how I handle it: I trust it anyway. There are periods of time when I am hungry all the time (physically, not emotionally. If you have emotional eating habits, you will need to overcome these before you can eat based on listening to your body), so I eat. Other times, I'm not hungry at all, so I don't eat. I am not binging nor starving myself, I'm just listening to my body. This is the ideal way to "diet" because your body will always be satisfied, and you will have a healthy relationship with food. Hopefully you can see by now what I mean by the best diet is no diet.
A warning: There are many cases when you may have developed long-term diet bad habits that are very difficult to break. You are going to need to be more strict with yourself at first in order to break those habits before you can start to eat by listening to your body. I will have more information to follow about responsible dieting. But if you're ready to dive in now, this -link- is the best place to start.
Facts from Wardlaw's Perspectives in Nutrition, 8th Edition (a college textbook). Other sources: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diet?show=0&t=1311639946 and http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/
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