It's currently nearly the end of January, how have you fared? Soon after Christmas, the diet ads start in earnest. We're all feeling a bit bloated after the excess of Christmas time and ready to eat healthily.
But, do we need all the diets and fads? No! We'll naturally eat healthier and smaller portions after going to excess. The toxic diet culture has so much to answer for. It makes you feel inadequate when you see so much content aimed at you telling you you are fat and unhealthy, and if you can't manage to lose weight or resist temptation then you are lazy and quite frankly undeserving of a good life. OK, but it feels like that at times!
The truth is we all have blowouts occasionally at times of celebration and wallowing, it's natural. I think it's better to look at your lifestyle overall, not that pack of biscuits you ate last night or the drive-through Mcdonalds you couldn't resist. Make healthy choices, think low carb (not no carb) and smaller portions, but don't starve yourself or deprive yourself. If you 'allow' yourself that small bar of chocolate, you're less likely to wait and then binge eat and feel guilty. It's that yo-yoing of deprivation dieting then 'giving in' that is far more dangerous than a consistent balanced diet and lifestyle.
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Enjoy what you eat, savour each mouthful. Wait 10 minutes after eating before reaching for seconds or dessert. Add soda water or sugar-free lemonade to wine instead of drinking it neat, or ditch the alcohol altogether. You might find you don't need it after all. If you do - savour it! We're all going through a really tough time and if a drink at the end of the day helps you, then go for it.
The last part of ditching the diet is to get comfortable with your body. Get your partner to say what they really like about your body and what turns them on. You will hopefully be pleasantly surprised. I hate my hair right now, it's a non-style, but when I say to him 'I hate my hair,' he replies that he loves my hair. It gives you a different perspective and you can see yourself through new eyes. Those wobbly thighs and hip dips you hate - they love to grab hold of them and enjoy your womanly shape. Put some nice underwear on and take a good look at yourself in the mirror - what do you like about your body, has it borne children? What a warrior you are! Take stock of anything you don't like and make a plan to try and improve it, but be realistic. Learn to love the skin you're in.
