Why Don’t Diets Lead To Sustainable Health?

Within a year of having my second child, I gained over 50lbs. The last thing on my mind was my weight increase. I was working from home full-time and the primary caregiver for two children under the age of three. I could have excused my additional weight by saying all the above things, including “I just had a baby,” but I knew I couldn’t excuse my behavior and circumstances. I stopped doing the one thing I knew should be at the top of my list. I put a halt to self-care.

If I didn’t get my weight under control, I knew it would be harder to lose weight at 200 pounds or more. So, after some trial and error with my exercise plan & routine, I banked on what I knew. I loved walking, and I had success losing weight before. I also thought about the legacy I wanted to leave, and my children reminded me that I wasn’t born overweight or obese. My actions and inactions led me to where I was.

I was never a diet person. Even as a diabetes educator, coach, and nurse, I promoted eating balanced and proportioned meals. The word diet has restrictions all around it, but I supported other’s decisions if they wanted to know more about a certain diet or meal plan. I wanted sustainable optimal health, and I knew that there was no quick way about it. I had heard too many stories of people gaining their weight back after having surgery or being on a diet. In many…