Diets...then what

I have heard the word "diet" my entire life, but I have to admit, even as I approach 46 years old I have never really "been on a diet" or followed the latest fad when it comes to eating healthy or losing weight. 

With that said, I was lost for the first 38 years of my life, so I am not bragging. Honestly, I think I enjoyed food way too much to sacrifice any of it to look a certain way. 

But over the past 8 years, I have weaved my way and created my own path that I know works for me. It surely didn't happen overnight, and my personal path and journey are ever-changing. I'm hoping this blog will shed some light and help you navigate your path to healthier eating.

👇🏽👇🏿 Here's a common scenario (stick with me) 👇🏿👇🏽

A person (let's call her Sally) has put on the extra weight and decides that on January 1 she is going to lose this weight and she wants to do it fast. Sally has a friend that is selling XX diet plan or products that guarantee Sally will have *lots of energy and will *lose weight quickly with *all-natural products. Sally is pumped and ready!

Sally buys ALLLLL the things; the snack bars, the powders for her water, the meal plan, and sometimes even the food itself. Sally is all in. After a month she is dropping that weight and starting to feel amazing. She brags to her friends, posts her before/after pictures on social media, and is so happy to fit back into her "small girl" jeans. 

Sally keeps buying the products and keeps "feeling great" for a few months. By this time, Sally has spread the word and 2 of her girlfriends and her aunt have decided to join this program too. And everyone is happy, feeling good, and losing weight. 

All of these things are good and I want to be clear. I am not against weight loss programs or diets so keep reading.

6 months later, summer is here. Sally is traveling with her family and enjoying happy hour with friends. Sally has plateaued on her weight loss and starts to back off of the diet products and foods because she is right where she wants to be. She feels good and the weight is gone.

Let's fast forward to Thanksgiving. Sally has stopped the diet plan and is really enjoying the holidays with her family; making her family recipes for everyone to enjoy. Sally starts gaining the weight back very slowly but tells herself "It's the holidays. I haven't gained too much and I can just scale back January 1". But January 1 comes around and Sally keeps gaining weight. 

Once Sally is tired of being overweight a new diet plan is out and she decides to give this one a try (because it's new and different than the one she did last time).

🤚 RAISE YOUR HAND IF ANYTHING IN THE SCENARIO HAS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU! 🤚

Diets have been around for centuries. And have you noticed "they" keep coming up with new ones? The first "diet" I remember really taking off was Atkins. It was HUGE back in the '90s (Dr. Atkins actually developed it in the late '60s) and a decade later, they learned the harsh side effects of long-term use of Atkins and they had to change their approach. I'm not here to talk down about any diet, diet plan, or sales company but wanted to use Atkins as one example.

Diets are never "one size fits all". In school, they call it "bio-individuality". What is good for me, may be detrimental for you. Everyone has a different chemical make-up, different disease, different immune system, different allergies, different gut micro-biome, different hormones, different emotions, and different addictions and triggers. This is why the food journey is extremely personal. And it's just that...a journey. There is no end. There is no finish line. 

After that "diet" fizzles out, then what? Do you go back to eating bagels every day and drinking Starbucks coffee until the next "diet" comes along? If you are on this roller coaster way to eating, how do you think your body is liking it? Is it able to sustain you and keep you healthy when you keep yo-yo eating and changing things up on the regular?

This my friend, is why I chose this career (actually it chose me). I am just the messenger. I feel it is my calling to deliver these messages to you. My mission is to help people like you stop listening to all the "noise" and really listen to your body.

Food can be a beautiful thing, but these "diets" have really skewed our views on food and coerced us to feel emotions like shame and guilt. 

What if we forget the diets? What if we forget everything we have been told and everything we read and just start from scratch. Starting from scratch for me means NOT counting calories or carbs. By paying attention to the "what" in our food, it gives us all the power and freedom back. It's a simple approach and I know we can all use simple in our busy lives.

Processed foods, preservatives, sugars, oils, and fortified foods are where most of the problems lie. The strength in marketing today is very scary to me. "We" believe most of what we read and what we hear. Just because the commercial or the box says "healthy" or "all-natural" or "organic" does not mean it's true. I am on a mission to spread this word and help you identify your version of "healthy".

If you are on a diet today and it's working for you, I applaud you. Keep up the good work because nobody knows your body like you. 

If you are tired of diets but know for whatever reason (a health scare, poor bloodwork, weight gain, etc) you need to make some changes and are open to simple, healthy, long-term habits and ideas, I am your gal. You have come to the right place and I'm happy and grateful you are spending time reading this with me. 

I have some very helpful resources launching soon on my website. These resources have been in the works for 6 months. I have listened to you and created resources I am confident will inspire you and shift your views, your journey, and your relationship with food for years to come.

It's not a diet plan and it will not break the bank. 

Big things are beginning to happen in November here at Shelley Can Help, and I know  YOU will benefit!

Keep reading those food labels, keep eating your greens, and keep checking back with me on social and my website! And if you haven't started a "diet", please don't. 

And here's a delicious recipe that will show you that dieting isn't the answer. 

With a grateful heart,

Xoxo

Shelley

@ShelleyCanHelp

ShelleyCanHelp.com