Have a Diet but DO NOT Diet

— Richard Simmons (Quad-City Times. Sunday, July 26, 1981)

[editor’s note: per Merriam-Webster, the syllables are broken down as “di·et”… and—yes—it feels like a good time to use “per”]

diet (noun) - the food and drink that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.

diet (verb) - restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of food in order to lose weight.

Have a diet. Don’t go on a diet.

Every time I tried to “go on” a diet I failed miserably. Dieting is attempting a quick fix through restriction & deprivation and reinforces the idea of a finish line. Going on a diet results in weakness, lethargy, and the inevitable “going off” the diet which causes shame, anger, sadness, frustration, and an unhealthy relationship with food.

Instead, ask yourself, “How can I eat for the rest of my life in a way that’s healthy, nourishing, nutritious, enjoyable, and sustainable?”

Take the thinking out of it by creating a go-to diet/meal plan that you default to most of the time. Measure once, eat a thousand times.

Don’t “diet” to lose weight. Create a diet that makes you feel great.

Need help? Just ask!

Bonus Tip: add in more nutritious foods before removing the unhealthy stuff. You’ll naturally start craving more healthy food and wanting less of the unhealthy stuff.

Feel Great

The Before/During/After Test

“Do I feel great before/during/after eating/drinking ________?”

Use this to help guide you. A great (and sustainable) diet is when you can consistently answer “Yes” to all 3 questions.

Rock a Nice Little Bod

Don’t wait until January 1st to start working on your health & fitness. I literally do not know anyone who’s ever stuck to a New Year’s resolution. Instead, create your habits now (if you haven’t already started). There’s nothing special about January 1st. It’s a trap.

Enjoy Life

Remember— it’s holiday, not holiweek or holimonth! Enjoy each holiday and special event but don’t let yourself spiral into a free-for-all.

Nice Little Body of the Week

Paul Newman & Robert Redford ping ponging during a break from filming ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ in 1968.