I need to drop a few pounds because it will make me healthier if I do so. I’ve sort of made the effort off and on for the past few years, but it’s half-hearted. Most diets leave me feeling unsatisfied - not physically - but mentally.

You see, I love cooking. I enjoy food and trying new recipes and ingredients. When “dieting” in the traditional sense, this part of me gets lost in the process. It completely erases my pure enjoyment of food. Although most of the foods I prepare while “dieting” are tasty, I don’t like feeling confined. The idea that certain foods are off-limits doesn’t seem to fit well.

I want to eat chocolate, drink wine, and still lose weight. Why can’t I? There’s actually no reason why I shouldn’t be able to balance these things out. If you think about it, weight control should be natural. I think approaching it from the perspective of needing to “diet” is going about it all wrong.

What will I do instead? I am not going to count calories or worry about anything excpet eating a healthy diet and exercising.  If I decide to have a glass of wine or a piece of chocolate or a cocktail when I go out so be it. Life needs to be about balance. Dieting puts this out of balance. And for me, I need to cook - luckily my favorite foods tend to be healthy.

Instead of worrying about losing weight through restriction, I am going to exercise the “Everything in moderation”policy. For me, it’s the only way to be truly success in my efforts to drop a few pounds.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS