Stop this thing – I want to get off!

Have you been riding the diet roller coaster? Up and down and up and …

Roller coasters are for amusement parks, not for the kitchen. Frankly, they make me nauseous.

Obtaining nutrition is one of the most natural activities of all living creatures. Everything gets energy from somewhere. If this is such a natural activity, why is there a multi-billion dollar industry full of people telling us how to do it right? In all the chatter about this diet and that diet, we’ve learned to ignore our own body’s wisdom, and doubt our sense of hunger and fullness and our ability to choose healthful foods, let alone trust ourselves in a room with foods we consider “bad”. We chastise ourselves for being imperfect eaters and say uncomplimentary things when we view ourselves in the mirror. We ignore our hunger, causing our cravings to spiral out of control. Enter the bag of cookies that doesn’t make it out of the parking lot of the grocery store.

Consider the “diet” concept based on depriving yourself of foods you truly enjoy. It often requires you to count things: calories, carbs, fats, points, bowls of cabbage soup. Perhaps you must eat at predetermined times rather than according to your hunger. Perhaps you choke down some food you don’t like just because it’s on the “diet.” This pattern leads to rebellion and bingeing on the very foods we think we shouldn’t eat. It leads to a malfunctioning of our hunger and fullness thermostat and slows metabolic rate, making achieving and maintaining a healthy weight virtually impossible. It makes us feel badly and takes all the fun out of eating.

Take a leap of faith in your body’s ability to self-regulate and banish diets. Forever. While we’re at it, let’s banish “should”, “shouldn’t”, “can’t”, “ought to”, “good” and “bad” as they relate to food and eating patterns.

Imagine a world where no food is forbidden. You can eat anything you want anytime you want. There is no guilt. Food is satisfying and delicious – far from the cardboard-like rice cakes of diets past. Texture, color and flavor drive your food choices rather than some prescribed meal plan. Sound peaceful? Or maybe a little scary? Stay tuned for upcoming articles for tips on how to finally get off the diet roller coaster and put the pleasure back into eating.