I have heard...and lived the saying, "Diets don't work." To be on a diet by definition is special or limited selections of food and drink, chosen or prescribed for health or to gain or lose weight / to eat or cause to eat special or limited food, esp. for losing weight. (Websters New World Dictionary).
I'm a math teacher so, I am used to breaking things down. Let's break some of this definition down so we can see how a diet is set up for failure. Let's start with the word limited. Okay, my mind is already seeing my food being taken away from me or given to me in very small portions. Any person who has been on the diet train through the years knows that limited also means getting rid of all the "good stuff." Limited means I am going to have to give up things I like and want, and crave.
Next word...special. Now, if we were talking about Christmas or an anniversary and the word special was brought up, I would get a little excited. However, any dieter worth his or her weight, (yes, that was suppose to be a pun), knows which definition of special we use when we diet: not general or regular; specific or limited. Special means raw and steamed vegetables, (I hate both...well, actually I just hate most vegetables), lots of fruits, low fat cardboard foods, no Hersey Bars or Twinkies, and none of the rolls at O'Charleys with honey butter, or the hot and delicious biscuits at Red Lobster. Yep, that's what it means!
Special means I eat a lot of food I don't want and give up the food that I do want.
Selection is another negative word. I would agree it is better than limited or special but, it still conjures up images of only a few choices of food. I am not fooled by the word. There will be no choices of foods I want to eat.
Gee...no wonder a diet doesn't work. We do set ourselves up for failure when we diet.
I enjoyed yesterday's list so much, I have made a 10 signs list again today. Today the list has to do with poking a little fun at how and why many of us who have tried every diet known to man between us have failed. Restricting yourself and eating things you don't want and craving other things you can't have is a terrible combination and doesn't work for long.
10 Signs You are on a Diet...and It Doesn't Work!
1. You keep a secret stash of goodies for when the
cravings get too bad.
Here's mine. I have kept this basket in a closet for
years. The closet has all my teaching materials in
it so, no one but me has any reason to go in there.
I love my sweets!
The basket is layered. There's more underneath.
The really sad part is, if you look close enough there are 2 different types of diet pills and the little boxes of crystals I used to sprinkle on my food to make me full faster. Of course, none of these worked. I am not sure why I still have them buried in my goody box. I just don't think I could bring myself to throw all that money away!
2. After the first 2-4 pounds of water weight, you
become frustrated that you aren't losing any more
weight and you give up...again.
3. The willpower you have the first day starts to
wane in a few days.
(I was so excited last Spring...well, I was excited
for a few days. The teachers had a "Biggest
Loser" contest. I was determined to win. The
first week, I starved myself and lost 3 pounds.
The next week I gained 2 of the 3 pounds back.
By the third week, I had just given up and I
dropped out. I was a "Biggest Loser" dropout).
4. You tell yourself that you are ok with your weight
and that you will just start exercising more.
5. The humiliating pictures you placed on the
refrigerator aren't even enough to motivate you.
6. You hate that skinny person sitting at her desk
eating a piece of coconut creme pie and drinking a
Coke.
7. You begin searching for a new and better diet
before you have even finished the one you are on.
8. You don't tell anyone you are on a new diet, "in
case it doesn't work."
9. Your cravings for foods occupy all your waking
thoughts.
10. You begin taking off "unnecessary" items for
your weigh-in by about week 3...things like
your belt, socks, rings, earrings, hair clips.
(Then after your weigh-in, you go "pig out" to
celebrate!)
I am 51 years old and I have tried it all! I am getting too old to mess around with extra weight. Additionally, since I am getting older, I don't want to put just anything in my body. Believe me, I used to not care, as long as there was a chance it might work.
This is why I am using Plexus Slim. Nothing in it is harmful. I don't have to crave food because if I want it I can have it.
I still get hungry during the day. But, as I stated in my earlier posts, it doesn't take much to fill me up and make me feel satisfied. I enjoy the pink drink. Just as much, I enjoy the simplicity of drinking the drink in the morning and being done for the day.
Well...I hope everyone is safe and warm today. I am waiting on the last 2 of my 3 children to make it home from college today. There is even a bit of snow in the forecast for Georgia for tonight. That means, I am not going to the store today, because the rumors are true...the mention of snowflakes causes us southerns to raid the stores for milk and bread! :)
Have a good day! :)
Click on the image below if you would like to begin your Plexus Slim adventure with me!