I know what you’re thinking, all diets work?  What magic potion are you drinking?  Here me out on this!

I think I was about twelve years old when I went on my first diet.  I’d like to say that it worked forever and I adopted a new healthy lifestyle during my raging hormonal tween years, but lets be real, did anyone?  The reality is I’ve had an on-again off-again relationship with dieting and fitness for the vast majority of my life, and I loved that every program I signed up for.  Literally, every time I cut carbs or counted calories I lost weight and felt a renewed sense of life and purpose.  The problem was this: every time I cut out carbs or counted calories I eventually uncut carbs or became too busy to track calories.  Inevitably, I would begin to gain weight and thereby lose my newfound confidence.

My theory is this: any time you begin a new health program or fitness routine, you begin paying attention to what you eat and how much you move.  You no longer mindlessly eat whatever comes your way or whatever you have time to grab between appointments.  You plan, you prep, you pave the way towards your own success.  Finally, you take the time to create a meal plan, grocery shop, avoid the chip and cookie aisles, and you are diligent in your plans.

You have become intentional.

There it is!  You are intentional; with your nutrition, with your physicality, and therefore with your life.  The hiccup with most people {myself included} is we gradually become less intentional as time wears on.  Eventually, we lose focus, and we give ourselves allowances.  We run out of time to meal prep, and we convince ourselves that “just this week” we’ll figure out how to grab-and-go in a healthy way.

So, we grab an apple on our way to work, but when lunch rolls around we hear our coworkers are going out to eat.  So maybe “just this once” we’ll join them.  Perusing through the “light” menu, we order a salad or fish {so proud} until we realize someone is celebrating a birthday or a promotion.  We  can’t not order appetizers or desserts (or both!) for the table. We’ll indulge in “just” a few bites . . . then “just” a few more.  After work, we’ll run through the drive-thru “just this once” for a chicken wrap {hey, it’s small!}.  I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point.  We play the “just” game until we’ve gained back every pound we lost plus a couple more.  How do we possibly break this cycle?

Break the Cycle

If you know me, then you know I am a HUGE Gretchen Rubin fan.  I love how her books and podcasts emphasize the importance of knowing ourselves in order to find true happiness and contentment with our lives.  Through learning more about myself, I discovered that I’m an obliger, a person who responds best with outside accountability.  I’m an abstainer, I can’t just have one potato chip without it leading to an empty bag thirty minutes later.  I’m a lark, I perform best when I’m well rested and wake up early.

Upon learning these things, I discovered that I needed to find a program that gave the obliger in me some outside accountability and allowed me to be strict with my goals without being pressured by the 80-20 rule.  In the very least, I needed a program that offered these options.  And I found it.  I found the solution for me in a bag of nutrient dense powder and six little color-coded containers that come with an incredible support system of like minded friends willing to hold me accountable to the goals I’ve set for myself.

It might not be the program for you (sacrilege, I know!)

I can guarantee you this: there is something that works for you!  I’m confident in this.  I wouldn’t lie to you.  ALL DIETS WORK!  I wasn’t kidding about that.  The first step you need to take (and I’m serious about this) is to learn more about yourself.  What makes you tick?  What triggers your emotional eating?  How are you best held accountable?  What are your favorite types of fitness programs?  How can you create a system to eat more healthfully?

Please take a few minutes and follow the links to Gretchen Rubin’s quizzes and articles above in order to help you get to know yourself better, and comment below with your tendency and how it helps you create a system of success for yourself!  I absolutely LOVE hearing how others are finding ways to implement these systems in their daily lives. I can’t wait to see yours!

Fuel your body. Feed your mind.  Free your soul.