According to the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, "...overall pattern of food eaten is the most important focus of healthy eating. All foods can fit within this pattern if consumed in moderation with appropriate portion size and combined with physical activity. Just because this is simple concept, does not make it easy, but I want to repeat what the Journal is saying.
"You can eat what you want as long as you do it in moderation, with appropriate portions AND move your body."
The part of the statement that stuck out to me most was 'pattern of food eaten.' What do you eat in a given day?
Why do you eat when you do?
Where do you eat your food?
When do you eat?
Is there a pattern to your eating habits?
I work a very varied schedule. Monday after I get the kids off to school its back-to-back clients and then into work for a long afternoon. I start my Tuesday off before the sun comes up and then head into the office for Tuesday, wrapping up the day with kids and a bonus class. And so on, Wednesday is early morning, Thursday mid morning, clients on Friday and then back to work on Saturday. Each day provides a completely different day, but overall my pattern of eating stays the same.
Breakfast: Eggs or a whole food smoothie
Morning Snack: RX or Perfect Bar
Lunch: Leftovers or Tuna Fish from home
Afternoon Snack: Lactose free vanilla yogurt with a nut butter or granola
Dinner: Something deliciously homemade :)
Have you ever wondered why Steve Jobs always wore a black turtleneck and jeans? So he did not have to think about what to wear. This is why I eat this way, so I do not have to think about what I am eating. It is a pattern of food eating that satiates my body, fuels me for my work and supports my very varied schedule.
For me, my diet is a noun. According to the Oxford Dictionary, DIET(noun): the food that you eat and drink regularly to have a healthy, balanced diet.
Most people use the word diet as a verb. According to the Oxford Dictionary, DIET(verb):to select or limit the food one eats to improve one's physical condition or to lose weight.
This is the "diet" that most of you are familiar with. This is an entire industry! According to a report on this industry, the U.S. Weight Loss & Diet Control Market Report 2021, they reached a record of $78B in 2021. But 95 % of diets (as a verb) do NOT work. Why?
- people don’t follow diets carefully
- the options and foods can be very restrictive
- life gets in the way
- the foods provided might not be appealing
- people get bored tracking every morsel they eat
The reality of life is that what we eat and when we eat and HOW we eat are all dynamic factors based on a number of different things. Our eating patterns change based on our own taste and food preferences, physiology, time, convenience, environment, time, media, marketing...
As we head into this holiday season, can you adjust your approach to your diet and focus on the food that you eat and drink regularly? NOW it a great time to get started seeing DIET as a NOUN instead of a VERB. We do not need more DIETS, we need a balanced DIET.
I can HELP you with this approach! On Thursday, NOVEMBER 18th I am going to talk about some of my tangible tips that can help you re-frame the perspective about 'diets' and 'weight loss' and your approach to balanced nutrition as we head into the HOLIDAY HUSTLE! It will be the most valuable 45 minutes in your week.
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