I owe Larkspur a kidney. Or maybe just a chocolate Easter bunny. Something, anyway. In her post yesterday, she discussed an article I linked to last week, an article I apparently read after a hit on the crack pipe.
The article in question is the one on Diet Cycling. When I read it, I thought the author’s focus was on eliminating severe restrictions in our diets, to instead move toward replacing unhealthy foods with healthy ones. Since that’s what I’ve been doing (and continue to do) and it worked so well for me, I agreed heartily. My yo-yo years of “dieting” were caused, in part, by eliminating everything I liked and trying to force myself to eat foods I didn’t like. Overwhelmed with the stress of denial, I’d eventually fall off the wagon. And that’s what I thought the article was saying.
After reading Larkspur’s post and re-visiting the article, I see that I missed a primary point with which I emphatically disagree:
“If you’ve ever been on a diet where you restrict your food intake and avoid specific foods, but allow “cheat days” to release the restrictions, that process can be very dangerous.”
Yeah, well, crossing the street can also be dangerous, but most of us manage to do it frequently and with great success. Or maybe we’re just lucky. Whatever. The point is that many people (specifically, Yours Truly) manage to have splurge meals and lose weight AND keep it off (though, not without the occasional Squish Belly.)
I apologize (profusely!) for not reading the article more closely and processing more completely the fact that it was, at least partially, in direct contradiction to the “tippy toe approach” I advocate so strongly. Those of you who’ve been hanging out here awhile know I love my splurges and have them regularly. Between my SMART splurging and my beloved Cake Day, I’m able to have fond favorites often enough to keep me happy, but not so much that I gain weight. It’s worked for me so far, and I’d hope it would work for you, if for no other reason than I hate to think of you living without {insert your pleasure here} forever!
And that brings me to the point of the lovely Larkspur’s post, which is that we’re all different people and what works for one will not necessarily be the best solution for someone else. When we find something that works for us individually, we should embrace it for all its worth, regardless of articles like this that would seem to imply we’re doing it wrong. (Don’t I wish I had a dollar for every time someone told me I couldn’t lose weight eating carbs!)
One of the things I love most about participating in our awesome online fitness world is the giving and receiving of ideas and suggestions. I do both freely and gladly, but always from the perspective of what works for me now and what’s likely (or not) to work for me in the future. (Sorry, vegan pals!) Should I ever suggest something to you, please know that it is merely for your consideration and not meant to imply that you’re doing it wrong.
As for the advice you give me, I always take it in the same vein. If you do indeed think I’m doing it wrong, you’re going to need to say so outright. I don’t read between the lines so well. As is abundantly clear in the fact that I recommended a habit that I don’t follow myself. Again, my apologies for that little mishap!
I’m off to pay penance by forcing myself to lie upon my bed with my eyes closed for a half hour. It’s tough, but that’s life in my own personal Blue Zone.
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