Help Meg Run

I use the word “diet” in the context of Merriam-Webster definitions #1 and #2: “food and drink regularly provided and consumed” and “habitual nourishment,” rather than definition #4: “a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one’s weight.”

Which brings me to my first point. I don’t believe in diets.

Pure and simple. Because in my mind, the word diet as it is commonly used does not have a positive connotation. Rather, it brings to mind thoughts of something that is depriving and short-lived. If you choose to do something that is temporary, as traditional diets usually are, your results will be temporary. Sure, you could lose a little weight. But as soon as you start adding back in carbs, or fat, or sugar, or whatever you gave up in the first place, some of that weight will come back on.

I’m not saying that you cannot lose weight through your diet (as in what you eat every day, not a proper noun that is prefaced by Atkins or South Beach). Because you certainly can. But for an eating plan to be successful, you must be able to maintain it for the rest of your life. That means no quick fixes, no drastic changes, and no crazy notions—don’t know about you, but I certainly couldn’t live without carbs or chocolate.

This right here is my biggest passion: teaching people that there is a better way to eat that is sustainable, that is satisfying, and that is healthy. (Health is what we’re all about here, right?) Learning to eat healthier does not mean depriving yourself of all your favorite foods. It means making more wholesome substitutions, adding more nutritious foods to your diet, and examining your emotions so you can add your favorite treats to your everyday diet in a healthy manner. It’s about learning how your body works and how you can fuel your body appropriately. Imagine your body as the most precise, fine-tuned machine imaginable…would you put poor-quality gasoline into that work of art?