Miserable While Eating by Tony Horton

Maybe the reason why you can't change to a healthy diet is because food has become this profound visceral experience every time you sit down to a meal. Flavor and texture are the king and queen in your mouth, palate, taste buds and especially your brain. You can't go from a diet loaded with yummy fat, sugar, salt and chemicals to bland old steamed vegetables and quinoa because the eating experience will no longer provide the kind of pleasure you expect from eating. 

Starting a diet is easy. Desire to change and the intentions that go with it are strong at first. The trigger could be the image in the mirror you despise. Maybe it's the impact of how walking up a simple flight of stairs feels like a triathlon. You say enough is enough and begin the process (again) of choosing a diet. When you do, you have to give up something. Something you love. Portions or flavor or both. Some folks never get past the first day while others can hang in there for years. Both fail in the the end because eating feels like that job you hate. How long do you want to suffer? How long do you want to feel deprived? How much longer can you tolerate being miserable while eating?

Changing your eating habits is no different than starting a workout regime. Both are hard at first, get easier with time and become enjoyable if your purpose is clear. Fitness is fun and effective when you combine variety, intensity, consistency with purpose, a plan and accountability. It's hard if you only focus on how you want to look in front of other people. You can stick with a healthy eating plan when you find ways to make fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats taste good! A weight loss only diet plan fails every time because being miserable while eating now with the hope that you look better later will make you sad, depressed and crazy! 

You also need a plan for when you travel and you need to find restaurants that provide healthy whole meals that you look forward to eating. If you love to cook - start throwing out old recipes that make you and your family fat and start preparing yummy ones that make everyone happy and healthy. If you don't cook then learn. Learn how to cook 10 fast healthy meals. You can do that. After that, figure out who delivers the good stuff on days you don't feel like cooking. Learn how to navigate a grocery store. Cut way back on all processed foods that come in a bag, box, bottle or can and buy more foods with just one ingredient. Blueberries, carrots, spinach, kale, onions, watermelon. You get the idea. 

The only way you're going to live the life you deserve is through fitness and a healthy diet. Everything else is smoke and mirrors. You want to find the fountain of youth? Here it is…healthy food and fitness first before everything else. Exercise is Fitness and Food is Health. You can stay miserable or you can join the revolution, it's up to you!