The Non-Diet Diet

Spring is in the air.  The days are getting longer, the flowers are blooming and the sun is shining, at least for today.  We have made it through the winter and as we are beginning to shed our layers we may notice a few extra dimples in our thighs and a little more body in our middles.  Suddenly our sweatpants and coffee stained shirts can’t be hidden in the zooms or given the excuse of a quick errand.  Believe it or not, we are getting out.  We get to meet with friends and family members.  We get to celebrate graduations and have dinners.  And where you might argue that sweats are still appropriate, I am going to encourage you to put them away at least for the next few months.  

We’ve spent the past year trying to decide if the glass is half empty or half full.  This past year has we’ve tried to keep our heads held high when we wanted to cry.  But now that we get to move forward and ahead, we can breath deeply and hug tightly.  Which means long days at the beach and impromptu beers at the Pourhouse.  It means walks that lead to dinners and and plans for traveling adventures.  As these plans take hold, not only do we need to figure out how to reintegrate back into society.  We need to do so with confidence and certainty.  Which means it’s time to talk diet and nutrition.  

This past year has been focused on holding that last thread of sanity together.  At this point, most of us are out of touch with ourselves.  We have been in survival mode and are now left feeling disconnected from our own bodies and minds.  And we are not alone in this.  We baked more, ate more and drank more than we normally would.  We thought it would only be a few months and treated ourselves to any morsel of happiness we could find.  We relied on old coping mechanisms and we created new ones.  And unfortunately our road back isn’t going to be as easy as a filter on your instagram account.  And any quick fixes are going to be temporary and leave you out of social engagements.  Honestly, after everything we have been through, be gentle with yourselves and your bodies.  

We get to start gearing up for a summer of fun.  We haven’t been out much this past year, so I think we need to burst out with a vengeance.  Don’t worry about the tangles legs, or the cellulite popping up in places you never thought about.  Don’t worry about the rounder body or the thicker thighs.  Nothing should stop you from having some fun.   

But we can take control of those excuses and the justifications.  Start today, start right now, start simple.  Stick with the basics, they will bring you closer to your goals and you’ll be able to stay in touch with all your feels.  They will allow you plenty of time with friends and still allow you to sit down for a family dinner.  

Drink lots of water, at least 64 ounces a day is a good starting point.  Have a nice cup of tea in the evening, have a sparkling water with your lunch.  But make sure you get in your water, and unfortunately alcohol and caffeine don’t count as hydrators.  

Eat protein at every meal.  Don’t complicate it with grams of protein or the types of protein.  Just make sure that each meal includes protein.  This can be greek yogurt, eggs, chicken, hamburgers, steak.  It can also be beans, tofu, fish, shrimp.  Protein helps you build and maintain muscle so don’t skip out on it.  

Eat as many vegetables as you can handle and add in some fruit.  Make some big ass salads with lots of fresh veggies.  Make summer smoothies with fruit, spinach, carrots and other produce popping up in your garden.  Allow yourself to fill up on all the colors and flavors that summers produce has to offer.  These will help fill you up and also provide much needed vitamins and minerals.  

Don’t spend your summer telling yourself you can’t have things.  Just be careful and mindful of a few of the pitfalls that can lead you down a negative path.  If you want a piece of chocolate, enjoy it.  If you want a bowl of ice cream, have it.  But don’t get distracted by the television or social media and soon that piece of chocolate ended up being the whole package.  

Get rid of the idea that you earned a treat.  You don’t need to earn or punish your food choices.  

Enjoy the foods that you like.  Make meal time social and pleasurable.  Find some new recipes to use, find new ingredients to try.  Get creative in the kitchen.  Try making some of your favorite take out meals.    

And remember, If one meal, one day or one week on vacation makes you feel like you lost all progress.  Don’t sweat it.  Take a deep breath and go back to the basics.  Usually we spend too much time trying to lose the same 10 pounds that we gain.  Slow and steady might not win the race but it sure as hell is going to make the race a lot more fun.