Stop Dieting and Start Living: Here's How

What am I talking about? The dreaded diet.

Whether you?re looking to gain, lose, or maintain weight, I?m sure there is a ?diet? for whatever your needs may be.?

With obesity steadily rising in our society, companies have once again figured out how to capitalize on the fear driven by crisis. They?ve tailored every advertisement to tap dance on the solution, yet overlook the actual problem.?

Being healthy is not about dieting, it?s about total conversion. It?s about adopting a new lifestyle, not babysitting a trend. Health is not a hobby, its a commitment.?

So, where does this commitment start? How do you begin this new life? Well, the answers to each of these questions reside within your personal vow to change. It has to start in your mind first before it can flow into different areas of your life. You must ditch the 90-day weight loss system and endorse the 365-day healthy living philosophy.?

Let's face the facts: people often feel like in order to live a healthier lifestyle they?re required to go on strict diets and endure vigorous exercise routines. That's not true! One thing I tell all of my clients before they start training with me is ?stop dieting and start living.? Some may think this is an aberrant concept, but I?ll explain further.?

Being healthy is not all about losing weight. Weight loss can help to eliminate health risks, but weight loss is not the holy grail of health. You have to be able to live while you?re living. What does it mean to live? To me it means to enjoy life, have fun, appreciate the little things that life has to offer, making yourself happy while making others happy in the process. Now how does that equate to healthy living? Here are a few suggestions:

Make life fun again

If eating healthy is something that you need to learn how to do, make it interesting. Attend a healthy cooking class with your friends or significant other. Find something health-related that interests you. Maybe you?ve always wanted to learn more about juicing (not the steroid kind). Have a juicing party, invite your friends and family over and experiment with different recipes. You may even meet new people that have similar goals and interests as you once you get out and experience new things.?

Take a yoga class

As a student and soon-to-be teacher of yoga, I can personally attest to the wonderful things yoga can do for the mind, body and spirit. Yoga is an experience in its own right. It has been proven to help aid in weight loss and studies have shown the probability of eating unhealthy meals decreases after taking yoga. It?s all a part of the lifestyle that yoga helps you to create. Immersing yourself in a deeper understanding outside of your physical presence is imperative to assist in the purging of unhealthy temptations. ?

Don?t be afraid to try something new

I?m a firm believer in the idea that you never know what you enjoy until you give something new a try. If you?ve been wondering how that Zumba class down the street might be - go take the class. If you?re curious as to whether or not you would enjoy hiking, take a hike (no pun intended). I encourage everyone to experiment. It doesn?t matter if it?s a fitness class or a new Dance Fever video game. Anything that will keep you moving, motivated and burning calories you shouldn?t be afraid to try. You?ll be surprised as to how many new activities you may actually stick with.

Love yourself

This is the most important thing for everyone. So often people start to dislike themselves based on their looks, weight or the choices they?ve made in life. Understand that life is about lessons. I believe that life is an experience, filled with experiences intended for us to gain experience. Take advantage of knowing that whatever decisions you?ve made has led you to where you are now. Embrace your challenges and welcome new experiences.?

When it?s all said and done, the one thing to look forward to is you will become a better you.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

Published February 12, 2013 at 6:24 AM

About Quentin Vennie

Quentin Vennie is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and founder of Life-Fx Training LLC. As an avid student of Yoga and Pilates nearing the completion of his Mind/Body Specialist Certification, he continues to broaden his practice of holistic wellness focusing on weight loss, weight management, nutrition and relaxation. In addition to training, he regularly participates in speaking engagements, conferences and health fairs in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area. Quentin will be taking his 200 Hour Registered Yoga Teacher training in July of 2013, with plans to expand his vision and approach to holistic living. You can find Quentin on Instagram @lifefxtraining.

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Source: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7698/stop-dieting-and-start-living-heres-how.html

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