Just the word “diet”
conjures up some pretty distasteful emotions. Deprivation, doing without,
giving up, cutting down, and cutting back. It also brings memories of past
failures and mostly unpleasant experiences. There’s a reason “diet” is a
four-letter word. And, there’s an even better reason why diets don’t work. A diet is usually, by definition, a temporary
condition, until the weight is lost. But
if it isn’t part of true lifestyle change, that weight comes running right back
home.
To help us come to terms
with our overall condition, the weight
loss industry will see close to an estimated $ 65 billion in revenue this year.
(That’s 13 percent of the almost $500 billion a year we spend on groceries.) It
includes diet soft drinks ($21.15 billion), health clubs ($19.5 billion), diet
books and exercise videos ($1.21 billion), artificial sweeteners ($2.52
billion), and the list goes on.
Now, what happens if we shift
the focus from “diet” to, hmmm, say “lifestyle change?” When this happens, we’re
also shifting our focus from a pretty negative relationship to a positive one.
So, back to that “diet” word. Consider that
today about 72 million of us in the United States are on some kind of diet,
spending that $65 billion we mentioned earlier. That’s a little more than $1000
spent per person “dieting” on average. What would happen if instead each of
these 72 million people used that $1000 plus to make healthier and more
nutritious food choices? That averages
out to about $20 per week. Now, leave out the soda, fast food, pre-packaged and
highly processed choices. You’ve saved more still.
Seriously, doesn’t a lifestyle change seem
like a better approach? We know habits are, well, habitual. But we have the
option, the choice, of deciding what we “make”
habitual. We get used to doing things a certain way, and then it’s not an
effort to continue doing them. We just have to decide what’s important and
where we place our focus. For example, getting into the habit of eating whole
grain products instead of refined grains. Getting into the habit of drinking more
water. Getting used to less salty food over the course of several months
through gradual reduction. Same for sugar. Making a fresh salad instead of
thawing out the frozen pizza. Moving away from screen time and walking the dog
around the block, several times. You get the idea.
Suddenly,
your healthier choices become new
habits, and you have a new food-lifestyle relationship. You’re not
“dieting”—but look at the result! And, look at who is now in charge.