Stop Dieting and Join the Spring Salad Challenge Instead

Are You Tired of Saying "No" to Food in the Name of Dieting?

Our current food culture is obsessed with the word "no". Have you no-ticed?

No fat. No sugar. No gluten. No salt. No dairy. No carbs. No processed foods. No trans fats. No packaged food. No artificial colors. No artificial flavors. No hormones. No no no no no.

That’s the word that’s in front of nearly every category of our food these days. It's the word we've all been hearing for decades when it comes to the subject of food.

I don't know about you, but I’m a little tired of all the "no" surrounding our food culture. I’m sick of listening to other women talk about what they can’t eat, don’t eat, won’t eat, or aren’t eating for 30 days. I’m over all the deprivation.

Saying "no" to everything just doesn't work for me. Instead, I choose to view my food in a radically different way.

Most Diets Don't Actually Work

The no’s that we’ve put around our food aren’t working for us. Think about it—for all of our restrictions, are we any better off? Is our health actually improving? If anything, we're getting less healthy as a society, not more.

Of course, I'm not talking about restrictions due to food allergies or intolerances. That's a totally different subject matter. This is for all of us who just put rules around our food because we've been told we should.

I learned an important lesson about the word "no" when I was a stay-at-home mom to four small children. From the minute my kids could move their bodies, they were hell-bent on doing things they weren't supposed to do—biting their sisters, sticking their hands in the toilet, spitting out their food, jumping out of their cribs.

Before long, my mom vocabulary narrowed to just one word. Can you guess it?

No matter what tone of voice I used or how intense my "look" at them, my toddlers had a serious aversion to the word "no." It was almost like they heard me saying "Go!" instead of "No." The more I said "no", the less they could resist doing that very thing they weren't supposed to do. "No" clearly wasn't working.

So instead of saying no, I'd give them an alternative to the activity I didn't want them to do. I'd say: "Try this" or "Hey, look at this" or "Do you think you can do this?"

“Let’s play patty cake with your baby sister instead of shaking her like a maraca.” Or “Ooo! I’ve got an idea. Let’s close the toilet lid and just bang on top of it like a drum.”

And here's the thing—we all have toddler brains when we hear the word "no." When we hear we can't have sugar or carbs or dairy, we can't stop thinking about that delicious restricted item all day long. That's because we have to focus on the restricted food or drink to keep ourselves in check. So knowing we can't have the thing makes us think about the thing and want it even more. We might even obsess about it.

It's just human nature, and this is why diets don't actually work.

Here's What I Do Instead of Dieting

I used to be a dieter, starting from about the age of 15. I didn't like the way my body was spreading out, so I tried no solid foods, I tried Slim Fast, I tried fat-free, I tried no carbs. By the time I was a junior in high school, I decided to try a new kind of diet called "just don't eat, period." The result was I was never happy with the way I looked and felt increasingly tortured at meal times every single day trying to decided what I could eat.

Eventually I decided to switch how I was looking at food. I wanted to have more positivity and freedom, instead of negativity and exclusion. I call this "filling up on the good stuff," and it's shaped the last decade of my life. It’s less about what I’m doing less of, and more about what I’m doing more of. Basically, I want to fill myself up with good food, (plus good thoughts, good intentions, good feelings, and good actions) so that there’s just very very little space for anything else.

Less "no" and more "yes".

I focus on the things I should eat and can't wait to eat. Instead of telling my daughters what foods to avoid to stay thin, I show them how to fill up so they feel full. Instead of focusing on avoiding processed foods and sugary drinks, I focus on delicious finds from the farmers’ markets and huge harvests from our garden.

The kitchen garden became an integral part of this philosophy when my husband and I moved to Charlottesville, Virginia. We lived really close to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and a few local farms. This time in Charlottesville really started to connect me to the sources of my food. I began to view food as a wonder—vegetables grow in the ground from tiny seeds and then nourish our bodies. How can we not celebrate the miracle that is each and every fruit and vegetable we eat?

Once I stopped dieting and restricting myself, I ended up losing 30 pounds just by focusing on the good stuff I could put in my body.

Here Are Some Practical Ways You Can Fill up on the Good Stuff:

• Trying to drink less caffeine or soda? Commit to drinking one to two full glasses of water before you have the drink you’re looking to avoid.
• Want to cut down on waste or eating out at lunch? Find vegetables that have the salty flavor you’re craving.
• Cutting down on afternoon sweets? Pack an apple or satsuma.
• Trying to skip dessert after dinner? Have a bowl of fruit or make a juice.
• No wine after dinner? Drink a cup of herbal tea first. Then see if you still need the wine. 
• Gather lots of smoothie and salad recipes you're excited to try.

Focus on the Yes, Not the No

Our challenges with food both individually and as a culture won’t be fixed by drawing the line in the sand with what we won’t eat, won’t touch, or won’t drink. Our challenges will end when we shift how we think about food and focus on eating as many plants as possible. Indulge in all your favorite fruits and veggies, and you'll feel healthier and more energetic.

One of my favorite sources for filling up on good food is Jen Hansard of Delicious Green Smoothies. I learned from her how to make green smoothies from my garden that I actually look forward to drinking. She's also got the most incredible recipes for salads and dips and so many other plant-based dishes.

Resets and recipes like this are what we keep me feeling full of energy and also keep me healthy and at my best weight.

In just a few days, Jen is hosting a free Spring Salad Challenge, and I’m definitely joining in. So I thought you might want to, as well.

So what do you say? Want to fill up on the good stuff with me this season!?