Something that is very important to both of us is avoiding the concept of ‘A Diet’. Diets don’t work for us, just as they don’t work for many other people, because to my mind they make food even more of an obsession. You’re either weighing exact measures of food, counting calories, looking at fat content, avoiding carbs, or following the latest fad.
Low Carb Diet
I stupidly did a low carb diet a few years ago out of desperation and I did actually lose some weight – but I hardly ate any fruit and I was eating too much meat. A long term measure it was not! Of course, just as is the case with any quick fix ‘fad’ diet, as soon as I stopped the weight piled back on.
Eating Sensibly
Eating sensibly doesn’t necessarily equate to losing weight, but I think it is a far more sensible option than any Diet. It is our philosophy and it works for us because we’re not constantly worrying about that extra gram of fat or that extra ounce of chicken breast. What is important to us is using fresh, healthy ingredients and putting them together to make interesting, tasty meals. I must point out here that it’s taken me years to even begin to use the words ‘vegetable’ and ‘tasty’ in the same sentence and we don’t eat enough of them, but now I look forward to a meal that contains, for instance, broccoli with garlic or globe artichokes with a vinaigrette sauce. My parents would be proud!
Lifestyle Change
So I think the key is to undergo a lifestyle change, where you forget the word Diet and remember the words ‘good for you’. It’s not as exciting as a fad diet and the benefits aren’t immediate, but you can be sure you’ll feel better for it. I always smile at the numerous research ‘findings’ like broccoli is good for you or a Mediterranean diet is good for you: of course they are – they’re natural, unprocessed and additive-free!
So that’s what we’re doing and it means that we don’t have to concern ourselves with mouse-sized portions of boiled fish and vegetables! I think our food is vibrant, healthy – and, most importantly, not boring.