Keeping track of all the new “miracle” diets that burst onto the scene, gift-wrapped in the promise of a slim, Victoria’s Secret-calibre body, is a challenge.
We might have moved past the Israeli Army and cabbage soup diets of years gone by, but the ongoing popularity of eating regimens like Atkins, Dukan and even juice “cleanses” (don’t get us started on “detox teas“) suggest diets are far from extinct. And the image-centric nature of social media and pop culture certainly doesn’t help matters.
In honour of International No Diet Day, we asked women what they discovered about their bodies, their state of mind, and nutrition when they stopped dieting altogether. Here are their insights.
Happiness isn’t indexed to the number on the scales
“I learned that the key to the happiness I thought I would attain from weight loss was loving myself now, today, as I am.”
It’s OK for changes to happen slowly
“I dieted like crazy to lose weight for my wedding. Then life got in the way as I settled into married life and I put it all back on. I’m in the process of trying to lose it without dieting and just doing the good old fashioned ‘eat less junk and move more’. I’m making progress but so slowly and I’m learning that that’s OK.”
Watch: Those Two Girls celebrate No Diet Day in the most delicious way. (Post continues after video.)