Diet vs. Lifestyle

Over the course of my journey, I have received a lot of questions on how I changed my dietary intake in order to compliment my exercise routines. Many people assumed that I was dieting...you know the typical (paleo, low-fat, crash/fad diets). I, too, am guilty of attempting the Atkins low-carb (carbohydrate) diet plan. The issue with not only the Atkins diet, but with any other diet that I would have tried, is not the diet itself, but the fact that I did not have the patience or concentration to rigorously stick to the plan or method that was being advertised. I attempted this diet after seeing my mother's results (although my mother has much more patience for sticking to plans or "lifestyle" as she called it.)

I found myself eating an Atkins bar for a snack, and then pairing it with a soda or chips or candy, etc. This pairing of a low-carb product with junk food is a HUGE dietary no-no. Many dietary products in general (especially low-carb products) contain edible chemicals which I like to call "-ols" (because many of them end in the suffix "-ol"). These are meant to curb your appetite, as well as stabilize and regulate your hunger patterns. If these are combined with obviously unhealthy food items, they can potentially cause unwanted side-effects.

Diets ... The word "diet" implies a temporary situation, or a relative short amount of time. I needed something Long Term to work with. I needed a plan that I could try to stick with for the rest of my life. I spent a long time trying to start over and over from a dietary perspective. I would attempt to stick strictly to the Atkins diet and then, whenever I would eat something that did not "fit within the recommended guidelines," I would mentally beat myself up for it. The situation became more daunting, rather than fun and complimentary. It became both a mental and exhausting task to try and force myself to stick with the unreasonable plan that I willingly created for myself and accepted.

Lifestyle... The word lifestyle indicates a plan of habits that become a characteristic of the individual involved. A lifestyle is just what it says "routine for life." I turned my "low-carb diet" into a "low-carb" lifestyle. This plan allowed/allows me to eat foods that are low in carbohydrates and high in protein (meats, eggs, peanuts, veggies, etc.) This plan also allows me to be generous (but intelligent and aware) with my junk/unhealthy food  intake. 

The "lifestyle" plan taught me and still teaches me how to eat in moderation. Moderation is something that is very important when it comes to both healthy and unhealthy food consumption. Ever heard of the saying, "too much of a good thing is bad"...yeah, well whoever came up with that wasn't lying. Yes, yes it is easy to even go overboard with healthy food and health products. The goal of any diet and or lifestyle (depending which one works for you, should be to either provide/and or restore some type of dietary balance among your food consumption. Once you achieve balance, you'll unlock other possibilities for your plan.


When I was here (see picture below), one of the largest mistakes that I made was not putting in enough research into the different possibilities for dietary changes. Research will take you a long way if you are willing to put in the effort. Staying informed about all of your options can very well be the beginning of new dietary/lifestyle options for yourself!

Thank you for tuning in to this post! As always...peace, love, and Nutella!!