Raise your hand if you’ve ever been on a diet.
If you raised your hand, then you’re one of the 45 million people each year who participate in some form of dieting, as reported by the Washington Post.
Today is International No Diet Day and I’m here to cheers to that with a double stuffed oreo and a craft cocktail!
As humans, we’re designed to pick up and obsess on every last flaw we have. Like those 45 million other people, I too have been on a diet at various points in my life. While I am very fortunate that I have been on a diet for aesthetic purposes and not for health reasons, the word diet still has a negative stigma.
It does not help that we live in an age where we overshare. Everyone on social media is either a fitness guru or lifestyle guru sharing tips. We also follow celebrities so closely who have unattainable #fitnessgoals to us every-day folk.
A diet is supposed to be a short-term program or process to help get our bodies back in check by cutting or limiting the intake of certain foods. While many diets have come and passed, every day I feel as if there is a new one sprouting up. What drives me insane is how easily people are willing to go from diet to diet. Often without making any serious changes to their lifestyle other than food intake.
That is why on International No Diet Day, I say throw out all limitations and turn those “no thanks” into “I’ll have two of those.”
In essence, everything we eat is bad for us to an extent. That is why there is such a thing called self-control and having an active lifestyle. For example, if you walk for even 30 minutes a day, you are already doing better than those who don’t.
When you go out to eat, don’t be afraid of splurging on something savory or sweet. Don’t ruin your vacation by purposely choosing not to indulge in the local cuisine offered. You will be okay. We only have one life to live, so don’t waste it by not enjoying what comes your way.
To be honest, diets are no fun. I have always hated when I would go out with friends who were on diets and they would be a total buzzkill. I’m a firm believer in living your best life. And that includes that drunken 2AM slice of pizza or that ice cream cone from the ice cream truck at a concert. It won’t kill you (unless you forgot to take your Lactaid because you’re intolerant to dairy).
I’ve never been a fan of diets, mainly because I enjoy food too much. That’s the thing: food is meant to be enjoyed. It’s not meant to be dangled in front of us or used as an incentive for working out. If I want curly fries and chicken fingers, I’m not going to worry about how many calories I’m going to have to burn after.
Whoever came up with the concept of dieting was NOT fetch.
Do you! Get those cheese fries and stop stressing about the calories. Make sure you live the best life you can and take a more proactive approach to your health. As the saying goes, everything in moderation!
Photo by Angelos Michalopoulos on Unsplash
