Or … Why There is No Such Thing As a Diet, Only a Lifestyle Change.

I was shocked when I dropped seven pounds in two weeks in January during my family’s reduced food budget challenge. But I am NOT shocked today as the scale reports that I’ve gained three pounds back in the six days since returning to my “normal” diet.

And let’s be fair: these last six days isn’t really my normal diet. On the morning of the first day, upon my son’s request, we went to McDonald’s for hash browns and Dunkins for donuts. The hash browns tasted pretty gross, but the donut was goooooood.  We had burgers and fries that night followed by ice cream.  And then I needed to lie down for a while.  We ate out two other times during the week, I’ve had ice cream three times in the past six days, and yesterday was the annual food fest that is Super Bowl Sunday.  Plus, probably my biggest “snack food opponent”: potato chips. They will be the hardest to slay.

The good news is that I feel I’ve gotten the back sliding out of my system.  A lot of the food I’ve eaten this week hasn’t tasted very good; mostly the food that we’ve had while out at restaurants.  We’ve kept the processed foods out of the house for the most part and I’m enjoying snacking on fruits and vegetables.  I really don’t want my buddha belly to return (it’s a touch bigger today than it was six days ago). And, full disclosure, I’ve probably farted more this past week than I did all of January.

All of these facts point to something most people already know but don’t want to admit to themselves: a diet is a short-term solution and the only way to have long-lasting results is by completely changing how you eat.  I’m looking forward to the orange slices in the fridge as my morning snack today followed by homemade chicken veggie soup for lunch.  And that’s how I want to eat, and how I should be eating, for the rest of my life.

Yes, there will be cheat days (365 days until Super Bowl XLVII) and that’s fine in the big picture. But I can’t return to a rotation of cereal in the morning, some processed food carb or sugar as a mid-morning snack, a sandwich with chips for lunch, and grazing on whatever is in the kitchen following dinner.  Nor do I want to.

If you want to see long-term results, go to your kitchen and look at what needs to go away and think about what you need to replace it with.  Take it in slow steps if that makes it easier; think about changing how you eat breakfast or have snacks first, and then focus on the bigger meals of the day.

Good luck. I’ll be right there with you dealing with the same issues, and doing my best.

Previously on The Reluctant Hubby: “Willpower and Weight Training“