Healthy Lifestyle vs. Dieting
Have you ever thought about the difference between dieting and living a healthy lifestyle? One is a difficult way of living and the other sets you free. One looks for perfection and the other at choices.
Truthfully, I have to tell you that most of my life I have been obsessed with dieting – but all in the wrong way. Think of it – if you’re on a diet, you have to get it right, you have to be perfect. And if you go off of your diet, you’re a failure – not a good way to live.
So what’s the difference? When you are on a diet you try so hard to be perfect, to do absolutely everything right; then one day, you’re eating out with your friends and you really want to have a piece of chocolate cake. So you go ahead and order it. After all, your friends are having dessert, why shouldn’t you. The entire time you’re eating it, you’re not really enjoying or tasting it – just shoving it down and already feeling awful about how weak you are.
By the time you get home, you know you have screwed up. You feel absolutely terrible, like a complete failure. You can’t stick to anything. You’ll never be at your goal weight. What’s the point anyway, you might as well eat anything you want now since you’ll never lose weight. Your self-esteem just dropped through the floor. Sound familiar? That’s what dieting is all about – getting it right or failing.
Now, let’s say, you’ve chosen to have a healthy lifestyle. You’re not just making short term changes; you have made a lifetime commitment to healthy eating. So same scenario you’re out with your friends and you have that piece of chocolate cake. Here’s the big difference – so what? So what if you choose to have that piece of cake. It’s no big deal. Now you are free to really taste and enjoy it. In fact, next month you may decide to have another slice.
With your healthy lifestyle, you make the choices. You’re not looking for perfection; you’re focused on eating right and living right most of the time. Not all of the time, most of the time. Indulging yourself every once in a while is really no big deal. Since you are eating right most of the time, choosing the right foods and sticking to a life plan of healthy choices, an occasional indulgence is really no big deal.
So forget dieting – choose a healthy lifestyle. You’ll be glad you did!
Truthfully, I have to tell you that most of my life I have been obsessed with dieting – but all in the wrong way. Think of it – if you’re on a diet, you have to get it right, you have to be perfect. And if you go off of your diet, you’re a failure – not a good way to live.
So what’s the difference? When you are on a diet you try so hard to be perfect, to do absolutely everything right; then one day, you’re eating out with your friends and you really want to have a piece of chocolate cake. So you go ahead and order it. After all, your friends are having dessert, why shouldn’t you. The entire time you’re eating it, you’re not really enjoying or tasting it – just shoving it down and already feeling awful about how weak you are.
By the time you get home, you know you have screwed up. You feel absolutely terrible, like a complete failure. You can’t stick to anything. You’ll never be at your goal weight. What’s the point anyway, you might as well eat anything you want now since you’ll never lose weight. Your self-esteem just dropped through the floor. Sound familiar? That’s what dieting is all about – getting it right or failing.
Now, let’s say, you’ve chosen to have a healthy lifestyle. You’re not just making short term changes; you have made a lifetime commitment to healthy eating. So same scenario you’re out with your friends and you have that piece of chocolate cake. Here’s the big difference – so what? So what if you choose to have that piece of cake. It’s no big deal. Now you are free to really taste and enjoy it. In fact, next month you may decide to have another slice.
With your healthy lifestyle, you make the choices. You’re not looking for perfection; you’re focused on eating right and living right most of the time. Not all of the time, most of the time. Indulging yourself every once in a while is really no big deal. Since you are eating right most of the time, choosing the right foods and sticking to a life plan of healthy choices, an occasional indulgence is really no big deal.
So forget dieting – choose a healthy lifestyle. You’ll be glad you did!
posted by Sharon at 10:19 AM
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