Yesterday I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when I noticed a comment about the recent hummus recall. The person posted how they were glad that their new diet wouldn't allow them to eat hummus anyway. Not allowed to eat hummus?! What?! Hummus is full of healthy fats! I've read a lot of crazy things pertaining to weight loss on Facebook over the years. One person was on an extremely restricted carb intake (under 25g per day). Another was only eating weight loss bars and drinking weight loss shakes, both of which were full of chemicals. Yet another was worried because they were going out to dinner with their family but were on a new eating plan and didn't know what they should do...so she just drank water.
To me, all of that is ridiculous. I don't believe in going on diet. I believe in moderation. If you restrict yourself from ever eating hummus, or pizza, or burritos, at some point you will most likely "fall off the wagon" and have a weekend where you eat everything in site. Then feel massively guilty about it and probably quit your diet all together. I eat real food and try to watch how much I'm eating. I also try to make smart choices. For example, when I go out to a restaurant I will get a side salad instead of fries. But guess what? I will also have a craft beer. I like Mexican food and pizza and sushi. Do I eat it every night? NO!!! But believe me, I do eat it.
Any meal plan you are on should really be something you can do long term. It has to be something you can LIVE with. That you can be on during the Holidays and when you go out to dinner with friends. Can you really see your self just drinking water at a restaurant in 10 years or not eating hummus? Make healthy choices about what you are putting in your body, watch how much you are eating, get in some exercise and the weight will take care of itself. No crazy diets needed. Granted, the weight might not fall off like somebody who is severely restricting their carbs or just eating diet bars, but you will be more likely to keep it off because your diet is realistic long term.
Food should be something that fuels your body, not something that you look at as the enemy.
