Diet Plans Versus Diet RealityPosted by Nick Niesen on October 26th, 2010 I have found that there exist two different worlds in the realm of dieting. The first is the world of planning. In the world of planning you can plan out every meal for the next week or month or for however long you want to plan. If you are detail-oriented, write down how many croutons will be in your salads, or specify the appropriate length for the banana you want to eat. Why not? The more specific you are in your plan, the easier it will be to follow, right? Well, maybe not. Let?s talk now about the other world: the world of reality. In the world of reality, you change your mind about what you want to eat, often. You go out with your friends for dinner on a few nights that you hadn?t planned for, and on two of those nights you eat pizza, lots of pizza. You eat a banana split one night because everyone else is having one, and you don?t want to stand out. On three occasions you buy and eat three candy bars within 20 minutes for no apparent reason. You eat three huge meals that your Italian mother cooked, because you know how happy she is when you have to loosen your belt just to breathe after her meals. Nothing ever goes as planned. That?s the important message. Circumstances will usually change and you will be forced to modify your original plan. I had to learn how to handle these situations. Let?s say that for this Wednesday?s dinner, you?re planning to have eight ounces of skinless chicken with vegetables, but you have just been invited to a barbeque (hotdogs, hamburgers). Don?t torture yourself and stay home, unless you don?t like that group of people. Have fun, but try to limit yourself. You will probably take in more calories at the barbeque than your original dinner, but maybe you can adjust your week?s meal plan. Making adjustments to your eating behavior is an art form that requires a little bit of practice. Try using logic and not your emotions when making these kinds of adjustments. Another way of looking at these two different worlds in dieting is to notice the difference between logical thought (planning) and emotional execution (reality). You can be very logical when making your plan, because you probably haven?t even started your diet yet. You will count up the correct number of calories per day, hit all the different food groups, and still be able to eat one piece of a candy bar every single day. That?s great?until the diet starts. Once you find yourself on the inside of the fishbowl rather than on the outside, everything seems to change. The rules now seem unfair. ?Why do I have to eat this crap every single day?? ?I have desires (pizza, enchiladas, chow fun).? ?I feel like I?m in prison.? We often forget that we volunteered for this diet. And we can get so emotional that the execution of our diet, just following the plan, becomes completely impossible. If you want to stop eating certain types of food (like cookies or pies) the best place to start is in your own home. Take a look around your house, especially in your refrigerator and freezer. Do you see anything that will tempt you greatly? I generally have to keep all types of fatty foods and desserts completely out of my house, because if I know they are there, they will eventually crawl right into my mouth. I don?t mean to do it. I may be a victim of my own genes. So instead, if I absolutely have to have something, I?ll go to 7-Eleven and buy ?just one? of whatever it is (usually chocolate) and bring it back. That?s my rule?just one regular-sized piece of junk food. Of course I could go right back and buy another one, but if the same clerk is at the store, he?ll think I?m a pig to come back so soon. I don?t usually take that chance. But many other stores sell candy bars, and unfortunately, I could drive to many of them blindfolded. Like it? Share it!More by this author |