Weight Loss

Ditch The Diet!

Image 7-28-15 at 11.30 AM

“Extremes are easy. Strive for balance.” -Colin Wright

Just google ‘how to lose weight’ and you’re instantly bombarded with TONS of diet fads to try. From the easy and extremely ineffective to the unsafe and ineffective extremes, diets are everywhere! Experts and amateurs alike claim they’ve discovered ‘the secret’ to help you slim down and shape up using a vast variety of simple and not-so-simple techniques. What if I told you that many of these popular approaches were wrong? Sure, cutting carbs, staring a ‘juice cleanse’ or fasting may drop some pounds in the short term… but will it really sustain that weight loss? Doubtful. I read somewhere that approximately 95% of diets fail. Talk about a low success rate!

…and honestly, I believe it. Quite frankly, I HATE diets. The way that I successfully lost weight years ago was by NOT dieting. That’s right! I quit dieting, learned to eat “in moderation” and I lost 35 pounds in the process! …here I am, 4 years later and still 35 pounds thinner than I used to be! My secret??

…Well, I’ve got a lot of them! But today I want to talk about one of my favorite, most unexpected (and to ME, the most obvious) ways to successfully lose the weight and keep it off– DITCH THE DIET.

Diets are temporary in nature. They’re meant to be short lived. Whether it’s a 10 day diet or 3 week detox… diets go against our nature. They teach you NOT to listen to your body. They tell you that you’re ‘bad’ if you don’t follow the plan to a T… and they’re usually actually imbalanced and unsustainable. I don’t know about you guys, but I like to be the one who decides WHEN and WHAT I eat, not some random book that doesn’t even know ME (my cravings, my allergies, my schedule, my lifestyle).

My advice? Quit dieting and start seeking some balance. Take baby-steps and make realistic, lasting changes. Diets tell you that if you ate a bite of that rich dark chocolate cake, you already messed up. Naturally, then you might as well eat half the cake! What?! NO! Simply portion off a small delightful piece, place it on a pretty plate, sit down in a comfy spot, and enjoy every delicious bite… guiltlessly! Discipline yourself to do this a few more times and you’ll start to teach your body a bit more about balance instead of extremes. While I do believe that everyone should eat less processed foods, sugary sweets and caloric-ally dense junk foods, I do not believe that forcing yourself to restrict them is the way to go. Learning to eat well and avoid those foods should be a natural and organic process. The healthier you eat, the healthier you’ll want to eat! “…because eating healthy makes you happy!”

If you asked me 5 years ago if I would ever prefer fresh fruit to chocolate cake, or carrots to french fries, I’d say “NO, silly!” But because I learned to listen to my body, focus on eating MORE healthy foods, and limit the junk foods, I naturally built a healthy, lasting lifestyle! Now, I eat WAY healthier than I would have on any diet… and I don’t have to worry about the overeating/weight gain that naturally follows restrictive diets, because I lost it the slow, steady, reasonable, and maintainable way!

So take the time, slow down, listen to your body, build a healthy lifestyle, be patient, and… DITCH THE DIET.

How about you? What are your thoughts on dieting?

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18 Comments

  • Reply Elizabeth Miceli

    I absolutely love that you don’t believe in restricting. If a diet tells me not to eat something– it makes me feel guilty when I finally do eat it. Diets shouldn’t be about guilt!

    November 10, 2015 at 6:04 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      They shouldn’t at all! Thanks for your wise words Lizzi! 🙂 <3

      November 14, 2015 at 3:58 pm
  • Reply Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop

    You are beautiful in both pictures…but I agree! Eating healthy with a balanced diet is the way to go!

    November 11, 2015 at 2:19 am
    • Reply Cailee

      Thank you!! …and I’m all about that balanced life!! 🙂

      November 14, 2015 at 3:58 pm
  • Reply Katerina

    As someone who went from restrictive (diet) eating to becoming anorexic I agree 100% with this philosophy of ditching the diet and creating a healthy balanced lifestyle! I honestly love eating fruit all day and veggies and to restrict on something so good is awful! As someone who is relearning balance this was a really inspirational post!

    November 11, 2015 at 5:03 am
    • Reply Cailee

      Awww! Thanks Katerina!! So glad you seek balance and are finding it on your healthy journey! You’re doing great girl!!

      November 14, 2015 at 3:54 pm
  • Reply Rach @ This Italian Family

    I really so agree with you on how important it is to eat healthily. But it’s funny because ever since I have learned to eat healthily I’ve done kind of the opposite of your photos above. 😉 I was underweight a decade ago and today I’m 20 pounds heavier, but I’m healthy. And feel great. And feel really confident in my looks (something I rarely felt way back when). I’m a big advocate for taking care of your body. Eating right, exercising, and being sure that your body is strong enough and healthy enough to do what it needs to. For some people that means losing weight. For some people it means working out more to strengthen their muscles. For me, that meant gaining weight. Which was so hard at first, but I’m so glad I did. It’s so good to see my body be strong and capable. 🙂

    November 11, 2015 at 4:33 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      That’s awesome though! That’s what I love about eating well and nourishing your body… your body begins to take care of itself and find its ‘happy’ weight! It really is about how you feel and being healthy! Weight is just a number and I’m so glad that your healthier (and happier!!) now 🙂

      November 14, 2015 at 3:56 pm
  • Reply GiGi Eats

    ugh! I hear you! BUH BYE dieting, hello healthy lifestyle and enjoying your eats!!! People think my life SUCKS because I am restricted to specific foods and a specific eating style, but honestly, I FRIGGIN ADORE my eating style – LOVE IT… It’s not a diet at all, it’s a healthy way of life that works for me and doesn’t ALWAYS cause me stomach distress! The second people stop calling their food habits a DIET and stress about it, is the second when people can truly live their lives and enjoy them!

    November 11, 2015 at 9:52 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      YES!! I couldn’t agree more! Like, I don’t eat all those foods because my body doesn’t tolerate them… and I feel great eating this way! Doing it the slow, lasting way is def the key to building a healthy lifestyle!

      November 14, 2015 at 3:53 pm
  • Reply Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks

    I think your before and after are both gorgeous! Balance is definitely a good way to keep things healthy.

    November 12, 2015 at 12:37 am
    • Reply Cailee

      Thank you! I guess I just wanted to share that weight loss was a sort of ‘side effect’ to getting healthy! You can most definitely be healthy at either weight!

      November 14, 2015 at 3:52 pm
  • Reply Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy

    I totally agree with you! I always tell people that the moment that I quit dieting, was the moment that I started losing weight. It’s about a healthy balance.

    November 12, 2015 at 11:27 am
    • Reply Cailee

      Isn’t it though! Thanks girl!

      November 14, 2015 at 3:51 pm
  • Reply Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen

    Awwww, you look so gorgeous in both pictures. Bye bye dieting! 🙂

    November 12, 2015 at 12:54 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      Thanks Anu! You’re the sweetest!

      November 14, 2015 at 3:51 pm
  • Reply mira

    I don’t believe in restricting and don’t really like the word diet. So glad you shared your story and definitely agree with you girl! Great job!

    November 12, 2015 at 3:50 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      Thanks Mira!! Glad that you agree.

      November 14, 2015 at 3:48 pm

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