The phrase “on a diet” is strange to me. You have a diet. You’re not on or off of one. Everyone who eats has a diet; some unhealthy, some very strict, some very strange. My skater punk brother in-law has a diet of sodas and ramen. His dog has a diet of kibble. You get it...
I’m so tired of hearing about this “diet” that people are “on.” Food is indeed a social, bonding, cultural part of life that we all love and give much value to. It’s even a defining aspect of people’s character these days. “Oh, they’re a vegan.” What does that even mean? (We all know what it means- I’m not oblivious, just baffled.) “A. Vegan.” Not “they eat vegan.” We have our foodie groups and family dinners. We follow instagram accounts dedicated to our favorite types. Yet, most of us are still so lost when it comes to our own diets and nutritional needs.
YOUR diet should be completely unique. Your body needs very different things in different quantities than anyone else’s. The tough part is figuring those things and quantities out. It takes years of testing different diets to find that place where you just feel good! You’ve got energy all day, you’re healthy and rarely sick, no digestive issues or little burps all day, your workouts are hard and you’re focused at work. You feel GOOD! Doesn't that sound nice? One of my favorite quotes is by Kevin Trudeau. “Most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel.”
I know- this is where you say, “but Jess that’s why I’m trying all of these fad diets. So that I can learn what I need.” I get it. In a country where food possibilities and diet choices are seemingly endless, it’s hard to know where to go from here. So you pick a pre-organized, -scheduled, -rationed meal plan that’s easy to follow. We love structure and not having to think. (That’s why personal trainers/nutritionist exist.) But the creators of those diets know that. That’s why they create them. It’s good, easy money. Those diets, however, are being followed by people whom the creators have never met. They know nothing about their followers bodies or needs. Only you can know that. An impersonal food script isn’t going to teach you about yourself.
You need food. Real food. It’s very simple. Of course there’s a complex science behind it, but I won’t get into that here. The process, for you however, is what’s simple. The over complication and glamification of “diet” has caused a lot of confusion. You need fruit. You need veggies. Most people need meat, but everyone needs quality protein. And guess what? YOU NEED CARBS. Carbs are so important. For goodness sake, please eat them!! I’ll leave you with this- your body needs food and water to survive. Love yourself enough to give it plenty of quality resources, not only survive, but to live a quality life.
