Dieting Doom
Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 7:00AM This may or may not be a surprise to you guys, but I don't really believe in diets - at least not the kind that are restrictive or wild and crazy or where you're starving. Certain eating plans are better than others - for instance, you all know I've got the love for Weight Watchers. WW taught me how to cook and how to eat healthy food that didn't roll off a conveyor belt. It really changed my eating habits forever. For me, WW has been a great addition to my life.
Here's why I have a problem with diets... So often, I hear girls on diets talking about how much they hate themselves. They talk about how fat they are or how ugly or gross they are. Seriously? If somebody called you fat or ugly, you'd deck them - right? They'd automatically be on your sh*t list, and you'd tweet the heck out of badmouthing them.
So why is it ok to talk about ourselves that way?
Listen, I am all about having a hot bod. Sometimes my weight is a bit higher than I'd like or I'm flabbier than I want to be, in which event I Weight Watcher the daylights out of my eating. I lay off the cheese a bit and up the lean protein. Sometimes, I feel like a failure for gaining five pounds. I felt pretty crappy for gaining fifteen pounds last year after my marathon training was over. Since then, I've been paying better attention to really eating what my body wants, and that weight's been coming off - nine pounds of it so far. So you see, I get the whole "watching your weight" thing.
Sometimes, I even feel bad about myself, but then I realize I am being crazy. Because you know what? There's nothing wrong with me. Any bad thing I have to say about my body is just neuroses, and... nobody thinks self-abuse is okay. Girls that are constantly talking about how disgusting they are drive me insane. It's just... no.
I guess for me, I just really can't stand the whole self abuse thing. Where does that come from? Don't say the media, because that's such an excuse. We all have our own brains. I am well-aware that I am not a model or an actress. I am not going to be ridiculous and blame some TV marketing campaign for my lack of independent thinking.
I guess this turned into a sort of rant. Time for some cheese. ;)
Advice, Weight Watchers
Reader Comments (6)
I'm with you - I don't really believe in the diet thing. There's no quick way to lose weight - you make better food decisions and exercise. I have fluctuated my entire life and, when I do, I know it's because of my poor choices - mainly eating out and laying on the couch. It drives me nuts when people do fad diets because, sure, they lose the weight, but they gain it all back and are back at square one. I know what to do to properly maintain, it's just my own fault for getting off the right path.
I guess I just turned my comment into a bit of a rant as well.
I wish more people thought this way! I used to be about 50 lbs overweight. I made changes gradually, and cut out meat, then processed foods, then high sodium foods and eventually dairy. It feels wonderful, and I never feel like I'm denying myself. Especially since Molly's has vegan cupcakes!
I hear ya Penny! I'm OVER hearing women *apologize* for having pics with no make up on, or for rolls, or for food babies. I think it's one way of getting reassurance from people. Also, it's much easier to complain about one's situation than doing something about it. I find the money issue to be a similar issue - saying: "Ugh - I'm so broke" is easier than spending an hour with an excel spreadsheet and tracking your lunches.
This is why I love you, Penny! Well, that and the fact that you bake.
I've really tried to change my lifestyle because dieting really makes me crazy. I have found that the weight that I need to lose to be healthy has stayed off when I haven't gone on a crash diet, but just eat non-processed foods and exercise.
Amen! My approach is similar. I'm not always thrilled with my size or fitness, but I love ME. I avoid the word diet as much as possible and focus on health.