The No-Diet Diet

If your a human, chances are you've been on a diet. If you're a woman, that is a definite yes! And if your reading this, you've probably failed. And if you're skinny, get out of here! Just kidding... You can stay. Let's start off with some sad diet statistics:


- At any given time, nearly 50% of women and 25% of men are on a diet


- Nearly all dieters (95%) regain the weight they lost within 1 to 5 years


-Americans spent 66.4 billion dollars on diets and weight loss products in 2010

Those stats probably won't surprise you. But did you know these?


- 42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner


- 81% of 10 year olds (boys and girls) are afraid of being fat


- 46% of 9-11 year olds have tried dieting and 82% of their families are on a diet


-10 million girls and boys are struggle with eating disorders and at least 50,000 will die from their disorder


Are you shocked? We should be but we probably aren't. Weight-loss is probably on the top of the to do list but so many of us are failing. And most of us diet for the wrong reasons. What are your reasons for losing weight? The answer should be for health reasons but for so many, it's for vanity. And that's the problem. We're going through this vicious cycle where we're teaching our kids to fear food. So many of us have unhealthy relationships with food. I could go on and on about the negative impacts on dieting and bad body image but I want to keep this blog positive. And unless you live under a rock, I'm sure you know that diet pills are bad and its completely unrealistic to want to look like a model. (Most fashion models are 98% thinner than the average American woman).


I am in no way an expert on diet or health, I am a struggling vegetarian. And that statement is exactly what I'm trying to change. But it's not going to change unless I change my mind. That is what this experiment is about. I have struggled with my weight for awhile now, and actually that's not even true. I've gained weight but I haven't struggled at all. It was so easy to gain it! And I've been telling myself and convincing myself and re-affirming how hard it is to lose it. But is it really that hard? Have I been increasing my activity? Nope. Have I even tried to lose it? Nope. Not really. And to be honest, it really hasn't bugged me that much. I've gained weight and gotten comfortable but now I'm feeling unhealthy. So I'm going to try something. A diet that I've never tried. 


I've been doing a lot of research and read tons of books (more like 6) about the power of our minds and how our beliefs shape our lives. If you believe that Santa is real and that he's gonna bring you tons of presents, he will. Most of us have experienced the Santa phenomenon. Well the past few years Santa hasn't come over and there aren't presents under the tree. And I figured out why. Because I stopped believing in him! Isn't is strange how only little kids get tons of presents and as we get older, the presents stop? 


As we get older, we stop using our imaginations. We stop believing in things. We are taught to "grow up". And most of the time that means to stop dreaming and get a job. We're also taught that life is hard and working sucks and bosses are jerks and your husband is going to stop loving you and want a corvette when he's 50 and you're gonna be fat and lonely and that's just the way it is. There are tons of other beliefs like that, they vary from culture to culture. And if you were so lucky to not have been told those lies, that's wonderful. But for the rest of us, those beliefs shape our lives. They're like a blueprint. Houses are built with blueprints. Most things start off with a plan. Life gets so crazy and moves so fast that most of us don't have a plan. That's where things get off track because we just let our minds follow the "blueprints" that have been set up for us. 


I think that's what happened to me. Everyone warned me about the freshman 15. I had no clue what that was. I thought it was another stupid math class. So I went from being a normal, healthy 17 year old. ( I thought I was fat then....what an idiot). Anyway, I graduated and then I started college and the freshman 15 found me. Actually it was more like the freshman 26. Yes I know that hormones and metabolism and all that science stuff might be part of it, but I also believe and have seen people overcome disease and health problems with mind power. 


There is no secret that eating healthy and exercise equals weight loss but there is a much deeper problem and that is our mind. If you believe that it's hard to lose weight and expensive to cook and takes to much time and blah, blah, blah, then guess what, it will be true. And unless you change your mind about weight loss, your weight wont change.


I'm going to lose weight with my mind. I know that might sound ridiculous and lazy but that's how I'm going to do it. I'm going to rewire my brain. And I'm going to track my progress. Don't worry, I'm not going to post chubby girl bikini pics or anything like that. I'm going to weigh myself today and then again in 6 weeks.  Make sure you come back and see how I'm doing!!