Diet Secret #2 - Everything in Moderation

That’s what my mom used to say. It rings truer now than ever before. Why? Because dieting stinks. Perhaps if I would’ve lived according to this philosophy, I wouldn’t find myself in this current predicament.

I never had to worry about what I ate. With a fairly high metabolism and involvement in cheerleading and ballet, I got plenty of exercise as a child and teenager. Of course, that all changed after I had kids.

It’s been nearly a year since I began dieting seriously for the first time in my life. Diets and exercise routines never lasted before; I inevitably gained back the weight. The toughest part of this past year was adjusting my food intake.

As I’ve said before, I love food. I’d nearly lick my plate clean because as my dad says, “Eat while it’s fresh.” A great sentiment, but unhealthy.

Learning to listen to the inner voice which whispers, “I’m full,” has been a matter of rewiring my brain. I don’t need a second helping of pasta. Though it tastes like heaven, I don’t need a huge slice of chocolate cake. Hell, I don’t need to even fill my dinner plate the first time around.

Everything in moderation—had I actually learned this years ago, it wouldn’t be such a tough adjustment now. The good thing is that it’s never too late to learn this lesson (or any lesson for that matter).

The first three months of the diet were the hardest especially considering they straddled Halloween (candy!), Thanksgiving (turkey, pie…Mmmm), and Christmas/New Years (an endless abundance of food, cookies, pastries, and sparkling wine). This baptism by fire of sorts forced me to determine what I needed to eat, not wanted to eat.

‘Eat to live, not live to eat’ is my motto now. I’ve managed to minimize relapses by giving into my sweet tooth everyday. I avoid packing on pounds because I make healthier choices throughout the day and I’ve replaced after-dinner treats with fat free/low fat brownies, yogurt with granola, fat free/low fat ice cream, and berries with a sprinkle of sugar or dollop of fat free whipped cream. Sure it would be ideal to eliminate the unnecessary sweets all together, but nothing would break my diet faster than being forbidden from them.

I take each day one at a time. The struggle with eating wisely has lessened over the months, but sometimes nothing satiates the cravings more than giving into them (loaded nachos, Mmmm). At least now I can stop from eating a whole plateful. Five chips are more than enough. After all, too much of a good thing isn’t good at all.