D-I-E-T: The four-letter word I want to wash out of my mouth!

During my 30 Days of Activity Challenge, I knew I would be able to do it. Honestly, it wasn’t that hard to do. Yes, some of the workouts were brutal, but I rarely had to work out alone. Even on challenging WODs (Workout of the Day, for all you non-Crossfit folks), I had constant support in the form of the coaches and other athletes at The BodyLab, especially my “swole sister” named Liz. Plus, I had positive comments from my husband, coworkers, family, and friends, which always buoyed my spirit.

I knew I needed a challenge that would be more difficult for me, and that’s why I chose to do 30 Days of No Cheat Meals. What does that mean? For me, it means that starting Sunday, August 17th, I will be journaling my food intake, paying closer attention to portions, and following the Paleo approach. Notice how I didn’t say the “Paleo diet”?

To me, I think the word “diet” has a negative connotation…and trust me, I’ve tried every fad diet, every magic diet pill and shake, just about every diet service. While some of those things did help me achieve results, none of the results were long term. I’ve yo-yo dieted for the better part of 30 years. Now THAT’s a sobering number. Realizing that so much of my life has been a struggle with food is pretty scary and sad.

This challenge will be difficult because it will require me to plan ahead, days in advance, just to make sure that I’ve got everything I need to stay on track. It will test my willpower, particularly when I go to my hometown for my sister-in-law’s baby shower, and even more if my best friends and I are able to coordinate a girls’ weekend.

Most importantly, this challenge is just the beginning. If I can do it for 30 days, shouldn’t I be able to keep it up? That’s what I need to prove to myself. I don’t have time to waste another 30 years of my life.

If you see me, don’t ask me how my diet is going. A diet is temporary. I’m going for something more permanent.