Diet and Exercise: The Only "Fad" That Ever Truly Works

You know what galls me the most? The thing that really just eats at my nerves—fad dieting. Never in my life have I been the type to latch onto the latest hip product or drug that will "revolutionize" my workout or help me drop however many jean sizes in less than 8 weeks!

Give. Me. A. Break.

Listen, because this is something that I know for sure: Unless you have a medical condition which keeps you from losing weight effectively, the only weight-loss method that will ever work for you is combining a healthy, well-balanced, diet with 30-60 minutes of exercise on most days of the week.
This is not rocket science, it's just that simple.

Fad diets are a temporary fix to what can be a long-term problem, and those who tend to use the quick route are often those who either a) don't have the time, energy, or motivation to put in the type of work necessary to get in shape, or b) want to believe there's an easier way to remedy a problem that took them years to get to.

If that sounds harsh or insensitive, I apologize, but it is what it is.

Being fit, being healthy, and being the best version of the physical you that is humanly possible takes hard work—every day. It's not easy and it's certainly not something you can do for 12 weeks and then stop. You have to make a lifestyle change and stick to it. If you don't, you will eventually return to the the same you that you are hoping to leave behind.

That being said,  the only question you ever need to ask yourself before beginning a weight-loss plan is this: how committed are you—really?

Breaking Down The Wall

Living a healthy lifestyle is a change I undertook a while ago—only getting serious about it in the last year—by educating myself on good nutritional habits and making proper food choices at the grocery store. As a person who shunned the reading of nutritional labels, it was amazing for me to come to the realization that I wasn't nearly as healthy as I thought I was. I ate far too many processed foods and was much too lenient where indulging in fast food was concerned. 

Those realizations led to the setting of two goals: 1) change my eating habits (less meat, more whole grains, and little, if any, fast food) and 2) make more of an effort to maximize and diversify my workout regimen (yoga, pilates, and cross-training were all added to the menu).

I started down the road of better living and, for a time, felt better about myself mentally, spiritually, and physically.

However, what I didn't account for is what happens when you hit the healthy living wall and suddenly, either through circumstance or frustration, decide you don't want to do it anymore. What are you supposed to do then?

In my case, a familial obligation led to my "fall off the wagon". I made commitments that wreaked havoc on my fitness schedule and made room for some uncharacteristic eating behaviors on my part.

I indulged myself in several slices of cake, as well as a few trips to Chick-fil-A (that Spicy Chicken Sandwich is sinful) and Burger King and, although I felt an immense amount of guilt each time I broke ranks with what I knew was the right thing to do, I still managed to rationalize the behavior.

However, the problem with rationalization is that it allows you to start down a slippery slope of acceptance that can eventually lead to your returning to old, familiar, behaviors again, and that has its own set of problems.

So, how do you break through the rut?

Well, I have to tell you, for me, it starts with reaffirming my original goals—eating better and maintaining my workout regimen. I have made a lot of progress over the last 9-months and I don't want to allow a few days of regression to set me permanently off track. So, I've resolved to find my groove again.

We are all human—capable of making mistakes—but that does not mean you can't get back on track. Perhaps that wall is just your subconscious' way of telling you to take a break. It is possible to get burned out if you don't take the time to reset.

Do you have to go on a binge to do so? Of course not, but don't forget to allow a little room to indulge yourself every once in a while.

Related articles

• Day 268 - The Habit of Healthy Living (iwillpower.wordpress.com)
• Week 5: Let's Talk Excuses and Results (cleanfoodexperiment.wordpress.com)
• Do You Think of Yoga as an Intense Workout? (fitsugar.com)

Take Control of Your Day

It's not always easy to stay cheerful and focused—as a matter of fact, it's hard work—however, as a wife, mother, and superwoman (yes, I am), I find that it's a much harder thing to allow the negative forces of life to rule me. I simply don't have time to add those demons into a day that already has the potential to be a challenge.

Let's face it, there are multiple reasons to get up in the morning and say, "this day will mirror the rest of em'—poorly planned and poorly executed—so why bother making the effort to be productive?" Well, if you're like most, you make the effort based on the possibility that the day could turn out to be special.

My advice is to focus on the latter point more. Stop making it tough for yourself to find the positive spaces within the harried levels of your daily life. Wake up and take five minutes to imagine the day as a success—visualize yourself getting something done and being a productive piece of this overwhelming puzzle—not a failure.

You have a responsibility, to yourself, to be more than just an instrument utilized improperly by someone else. Take control of your day and make something good happen.

Related articles

• Trying hard to stay motivated (mamahaas.wordpress.com)

It's Not Always Easy Remembering To Smile

Recently, I have abandoned my daily yoga routine. I abandoned it not because it's not useful—trust me it is—but because I haven't been able to find the time to fit it into my busy schedule. However, of late, the lack of it has caused me to spiral back into my daily stress-filled ritual of trying to do too much with too little.

One of the basic mantras of the yoga routine I follow is to remember to "smile" and "be grateful for everything the day hath brought". I often forget to actually smile during the course of a normal day—on the inside, not the outside—because I'm so focused on the outward responsibilities that I have yet to complete.

The solution to my problem is easy enough: I'll just have to get back to my morning yoga ritual. I miss that moment of personal reflection and meditative contemplation—breathe in the positive, exhale the negative.

I must get back to that.

Related articles

• Know Yoga, Know Peace (bodymindlifestudio.wordpress.com)