Sunday, January 29, 2012

A diet is a diet is a diet.

“What's in a name? that which we call a diet
By any other name would be as hard;
So a diet would, were it not diet call'd
Retain that difficulty which it owes”.

A thing is what it is. Many people I know who are on diets shriek when it is called just that, a diet.
                "Oh don't" they moan "I feel instantly hungry when you call it that. Anyway, I prefer to think of it as a lifestyle change."
Oh, how many times have I heard this only for the person in question to cave in after two weeks?
I won’t call it a lifestyle change just to try and make it easier to cope with because it won’t. I am restricting myself from certain foods and embodying new things such as exercise and healthier alternatives. It’s not a lifestyle change until it’s complete, until it is so much a part of me that I genuinely don’t want those things that are bad for me.  
You see what I am learning is if you cannot face calling something a diet than you won't lose weight. You’re sabotaging yourself from the beginning. I believe in calling a diet, a diet. I want to lose 7 kg and in order to do so I am on a diet. I am restricting my calorie intake to 1,500 calories per day. I am running 3 and half km's four days a week. When I eat I make sure it is healthy, which means whole grains, low-fat milk and cheeses and lots of fruit and vegetables.
I accept that I must first diet to get to my goal weight before I can call it a lifestyle change. Once I am at the maintaining phase and can increase my calories (only slightly) then I will be putting my new lifestyle into practice; the beginning of the new me.
Thinking this way I find I have zero desire to sabotage myself. For 21 days I have followed my diet to a ‘T’ and will continue to do so. I am fully accepting this permanent change in my life. I know in future I can be a little less strict, but only a little. I am facing up to the fact that even though this is a diet it's something I want to stick to. If I let thinking of it as a diet discourage me I would not be so driven to reach my goal and make a permanent change to my life. I would allow myself to think “oh it’s a diet and I can’t stick to diets anyway”, “I have no will power” or “I will just eat this today and start over tomorrow”.  Well no, that is me of the past. I know now that if I stick this out I will be slimmer, fitter, happier and more confident. I will have all the tools and knowledge I need to make these changes permanent. After going the hard yards of the dreaded dieting territory maintaining my weight and beginning my new life slimmer and happier should be a breeze (well, maybe a strong breeze).
So I say call your diet a diet because calling it a ‘lifestyle change’ won’t make it any easier, or anymore permanent. The power and knowledge to succeed is within you, not the name.

Originals of the altered qoutes:
Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose
Loveliness extreme.
Extra gaiters,
Loveliness extreme.
Sweetest ice-cream.
Pages ages page ages page ages
- Sacred Emily by Gertrude Stein.  
JULIET:
      What's in a name? that which we call a rose
      By any other name would smell as sweet;
     So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
      Retain that dear perfection which he owes
-      Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare.

1 comment:

  1. So true. I have no will power and find it to easy to follow my bad habits

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