Fun Monday - To Diet or Not to Diet

The wonderful Grace at Mama Rehema is our "first time" Fun Monday hostess with the mostess this week. Thanks for hosting Grace! Here is the assignment:

Many people make resolutions during the month of January and they usually include diets/eating healthy/losing weight and all that good stuff. I myself decided to try the Weight Watchers this time round. My assignment is to tell us about a diet or two (Atkins, Sonoma, Weight Watchers, South Beach, the You on a Diet, Best Life, The Abs Diet, The Zone, Cabbage Soup, E-Diets, Dr Phil, Jenny Craig, The Meditteranean Diet, Nutrisystem, Slim-Fast, Suzzane Sommers or No Name diet etc etc) that you have tried and what you liked or did not like about it. You can tell us about one diet that you had so much success with, or another that was a torture to follow or both.

AND/OR

Photo assignment: post a photo of something/someone that makes you feel good about yourself. It could be your loved one, your pet, your part of the world, anything goes.

Let me begin by saying that I do not believe in diets per say, even though I have been on my fair share of them throughout my life. I believe that if you want to lose the weight, you should make a lifestyle change and stay on it the rest of your life. This would include a regular exercise routine and maintaining healthy eating habits, which can be different for each individual. Sure, I believe that "diets" can take off the weight. But we all know what happens when we have a cheating moment or when we go off the diet altogether. The weight slowly creeps back on.

I know about diets first hand. Before I married (over 15 years ago), I was wearing a size 2. This was the result of being on a "fat free" diet and walking 3-5 miles everyday. Everything - and I mean everything I ate was 0 grams of fat. I did not count calories, only fat. Well, it worked. But now, 15 years later and married with 2 children I am wearing a size..................................................

well, let's just say, a larger size!

Ever heard of Slim Fast? I used this diet as well to drop off a few quick pounds. Again, it worked, but the weight never stayed off.

Do I eat healthy? Not always. Do I exercise? Not regularly. On a good week I may get 3 days on the treadmill. There is always room for improvement. I do try. But with such a busy schedule with the kids, it isn't always easy and the older I get the harder it is to take the weight off. It takes commitment to make this lifestyle change - that's for sure!

Now that I am totally depressed about my weight, I get to switch gears for part II of Fun Monday and tell you what makes me feel good about myself. It would be my home and the life that is lived there with my family.

Thanks again Grace for hosting fun Monday. Click here to visit the other participants and feel free to join in the fun!

Many Blessings,