Sorry, Me First

Prompt: “What’s your best diet tip?”

It’s been three weeks since I joined the Quantified Diet through Lift and was randomly assigned the No Sweets diet. When asked, “What’s your best diet tip?” I had to laugh a little. Despite the overwhelming number of diets I've tried over the years, I've had so little success that it’s difficult to see myself as a resource for anyone else. But the truth is….it’s been three weeks and I've been 100% successful in my commitment to avoid all sugar! That’s something worth celebrating and I must’ve learned something along the way that I can pass on….right???

Here’s the tip that has kept me on track for 21 days straight—I can put myself first on occasion. What do I mean? I love to cook for my kids. I love to make cheese laden pasta dishes… bake ridiculously rich and decadent desserts . Definitely of the “Food is Love” school of thought. In the past I would try to continue this behavior even as I was trying to avoid those foods myself. It felt unfair to “punish” or “deprive” them just because I needed to lose weight. Needless to say, I would “just need to sample” and “take a tiny bite to make sure it tasted good”…which quickly became eating just as much as they did if not more. This time around I've been deliberate and vocal about my commitments and my need to avoid even being around those foods. Shockingly the kids have continued to thrive, they've found their own treats, they still think I’m awesome…and they’re incredibly supportive! In fact, over the Winter Break, my two college-aged sons took turns going out for walks with me in the evenings to support another commitment I made regarding hitting 10,000 steps daily. Instead of providing them with an edible form of affection, I spent time with them—talking, listening and learning more about them than I ever would've had their mouths been stuffed with Salted Caramel Stuffed Brownies (oops, guess my mind still goes there). Another obvious and incredibly positive side-effect is that I’m modeling behaviors and choices that will serve them well if they choose to jump on board with me.

There you go….a tip from me to anyone who might learn from it. Good luck everyone on the Quantified Diet journey.