Saturday, March 15, 2014

Dieting, Counting Calories or Nourishment -- My Story


 The beginning of the year is when most people have resolved to lose weight and commit to exercising.  Many people start a "Diet" which limit caloric intake in order to lose weight.  I know this.  I lived this.  It was my life for many years.
There were years where the Diet consisted of everything non-fat: non-fat dairy, non-fat salad dressing, only boneless skinless chicken breast, carrots, celery, salads and diet soda by the gallons.  Beef, bread, fats, full-fat dairy and saturated fats were evil.  Yes, foods were either good or bad.  Foods on the Diet were good, all other foods were diabolical.

This would work....for a while.  I would eat only salads, boiled chicken breasts, carrots and celery, tuna fish, rice cakes, non-fat yogurt, skim milk and diet soda.  And I would lose weight.  However, after weeks of feeling hungry all the time, I would go off the Diet and eat whatever I could get my hands on, mostly chocolate, chips, candy bars, KFC and the like.  Naturally, I would gain the weight back eventually.  This would continue and I was perpetually either on the Diet or off the Diet.
What is the problem with this?  Going off the Diet? Gaining the weight back?  No.  That's what I used to think.  But I now understand that in my effort to lose weight, I was depriving my body of vital nourishment.  Our bodies need a wide variety and very large quantities of nourishing food to function well and prevent disease.   I have learned and now live by a different mantra:  It's not about calories, it's about nourishment.

The best part of this story is that when the body has all the nourishment it needs in the form of whole foods that feed your cells and reduce inflammation, it will naturally shed excess fat.  I have even found that eating fat helps to increase metabolism and muscle mass, thus leading to returning to your body's natural weight and leanness.

Are you dieting?  Do you have a list of "good" foods and "bad" foods?  Does it ever feel like a light switch where you are either "on" your diet or "off".  I am very familiar with those thoughts and feelings and will be sharing my journey from the Diet to nourishment.

My hope is the lessons I've learned may benefit you and that you will find the way of eating that nourishes and heals your body.


Enjoy Life!

--Two Peas



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