Fitness Update: Losing Weight

Last year I discussed why I hate the word “diet.” The word is most often used to describe the latest trendy way to limit your body of calories to lose weight. Let me share with you the three reasons why I hate the word used in this way.

1. Trendy is not really my thing. You won’t see me participating in the latest trend of anything, unless it’s by accident. Sometimes my style comes back into fashion for a minute before I’m back to being the latest fashion victim.
2. It can be used negatively. Oh, you’re on a diet? Why aren’t you eating dessert? Are you on a diet? Maybe I just don’t like the dessert choice. It can happen.
3. Most diets only work for losing weight, but make it difficult to transition to maintaining a healthy weight. And that transition is only a problem if the dieter makes it to their desired weight at all. Most diets fail because it is difficult to stick with a strict meal plan.

I don’t want to discount the success of people who do lose weight through the latest diet plan. I especially want to celebrate those who successfully make the transition from losing to maintaining weight. Maintaining weight is much more difficult, in my humble opinion. You no longer have the decrease in weight or numbers to motivate you and it is easy to get off track.

I know because I have. Got off track, I mean.

I started this post series to help me get back on track, and stay there. I am passionate about fitness and leading a healthy lifestyle, but for some reason I still couldn’t stay on track. If the people around you do not feel as passionately about something, it can cause a lack of focus, and I certainly lost my focus somewhere.

For the past couple months I have stepped up my running routine and made conscious decisions about what I put in my mouth. Though, if I am perfectly honest, I sometimes make bad decisions. I have two kryptonites, chocolate chip cookies and ice cream.

And there is probably no way I am cutting ice cream out of my life any time soon. Chocolate chip cookies, maybe, but not ice cream. Not happening.

For whatever reason (ahem, the ice cream and cookies *cough*), I am not losing weight. I’ve written repeatedly that weight is not the only number to consider when trying to get fit, but it is still discouraging when the number on the scale doesn’t go down.

Now that I’ve ranted on and on about diets and the lack of importance regarding the number on the scale, I have a confession to make. I signed up for DietBet, which is both trendy and relies on the number on the scale. I feel like I’ve sold my soul to the Devil or something.

Just kidding.

It may seem like I’ve gone back on all my beliefs about diets and weight, but in reality, I am only using it as a tool. I am not following a specific diet set forth by DietBet. I am still working on re-establishing my overall healthy lifestyle, free of diets in accordance to the most popular use of the word. If DietBet helps me to speed up my transition back to healthy living, then I am all for it.

Even if it is trendy.

*Remember, I’m not an expert. I just read a lot.