Stop Dieting. Start Paying Attention.

Because taking care of your body doesn’t require eating perfectly – it requires mindfulness.

Letโ€™s be real – this is not gonna be a โ€œBest Meal Plan!โ€ post, & Iโ€™m not gonna yell at you for not eating like an Instagram dietician (theyโ€™re liars anyway ๐Ÿ˜‰).

As part of the healing, growing, & maintaining a healthy life series, weโ€™re gonna talk aboutโ€ฆnot eating like an asshole.

Because what you put into your body is more important than most things.


Repercussions

I spent last year paying much more attention to what I was eating after some concerning cholesterol results. My doctor encouraged me to make some changes, and I decided to focus less on โ€œdietingโ€ and more on actually nourishing myself.

My new, self-imposed diet primarily consisted of increased protein & produce, and minimal saturated fats, excessive salts, & added sugar.

Which worked incredibly well! Iโ€™ve lost about 25 pounds! โ˜บ Iโ€™m happier now about how I physically look & feel than Iโ€™ve ever been in my life!!

That version of me was determined. This year’s me is tired.

This year, Iโ€™ve been burned out. I like a lot of variety, & a lot of flavor – in my meals, as well as in life.

So, hereโ€™s where Iโ€™ve landedโ€ฆ


The Anti-Diet

The best thing you can do for your body isnโ€™t following a strict diet.

Itโ€™s mindful consumption.

Rules are tools, not masters.

Iโ€™m not going to sit in the corner with a salad at a party, angrily watching everyone else enjoy some barbecue. Fuck that.

But Iโ€™m also not going to eat until I feel like I need to be rolled home.

I drink a lot of lime water. Water is crucial, especially during summer. One thing I learned from working in the ER – dehydration is ridiculously common.

I hate water. But I like lime water. ๐Ÿ˜‰

I use smaller plates & bowls than even my kids, most days. It helps me question if I really need more of that amazing curry I made for dinner. (Omg, my curry is amazeballs!)

And looking at that smaller bowl reminds me to savor my food instead of shoveling as much deliciousness in my face as quickly as possible. (Why do that anyway? As though someoneโ€™s gonna steal it? ๐Ÿ˜…)


Find Your Minimum

Paying attention to what you put into your body is one of the most essential forms of self care & self respect that you can do, especially when youโ€™re not feeling well and that candy dish is singing show tunes.

Find your minimum. Make it stupidly easy. And on the days when everything goes to shit, do that one thing.

Every day, I make sure to drink water.

On my worst days, I make sure to eat at least one vegetable. (Even on โ€œFuck All Dayโ€!)

Whatโ€™s your minimum? Drop it in the comments – I want to know what “not eating like an asshole” looks like for you on a hellish day.


If this one hit home, give it a like, share it with someone who needs the permission, and subscribe if you’re new around here.

Stay real. Live vibrantly. And rock the fuck on. ๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿค˜๐Ÿป

Weight Loss Without Misery: What Worked for Me (So Far)

Iโ€™ve lost over 15 pounds! ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ‘

That’s halfway to my goal!! ๐Ÿฅณ

Ever since my doctor told me my cholesterol was โ€œelevatedโ€ (though, as I’ve been told by everyone else, โ€œwhose isn’t?!?โ€), I made an honest effort to make some changes to my health.

My main goal is to feel better, however. A better mindset has been the most rewarding side effect of all the dieting & exercise Iโ€™ve been doing the past couple months – weight loss & toned muscles are just a bonus.

Letโ€™s review my efforts so farโ€ฆ

Diet

Iโ€™ve been following a โ€œmindful eatingโ€ diet plan set up with the help of ChatGPT. It helped me set up a schedule so that I wouldnโ€™t get too hungry by dinnertime (& thus shovel a bunch of food in my face).

Hereโ€™s what that looks like :

Mindful Eating Schedule

  • 10:00 – lemon / lime water
  • 11:00 – fruit
  • 1:30 – salad w/ protein
  • 4:00 – smoothie / yogurt
  • 6:30 – veggies with hummus
  • 8:00 – dinner
  • 11:30 – dark chocolate & nuts
  • 1:00 – fruit

I donโ€™t follow this strictly, but itโ€™s been proving to be pretty good guidelines for me. Iโ€™m trying to focus on eating mostly veggies & protein. Through ideas from Tim Ferrissโ€™ slow carb diet, part of my weekly โ€œdo nothing dayโ€ includes โ€œgoing crazyโ€ (which has definitely helped me keep my sanity!) And on days when we find ourselves on an adventure, I just try to stay mindful of what I order out (without depriving myself of the glorious BBQ of summer!)

Iโ€™ve also been counting calories using an app called โ€œMy Net Diaryโ€. It makes sense to take in fewer calories than you burn off throughout each day, so itโ€™s been making me more aware of what Iโ€™m eating. And I love it!

โ€œDonโ€™t drink caloriesโ€ has been a big realization for me – I didnโ€™t realize how ridiculous my coffee creamer was! (Bet your ass Iโ€™ve got a generous amount of it plus a shot of Trader Vicโ€™s macadamia nut liqueur in there on โ€œgo crazy dayโ€ though! ๐Ÿ˜‹)

Exercise

I forgot how much I love to exercise!

I started with just 5 minutes a day, and have built myself up to about 45 minutes (give or take).

I do different things daily, all movements that I love (which is key to maintaining the routine!) :

  • 20min cardio / dance
  • 15min arms / bellydancing
  • 10min yoga / tai chi / qi gong

Iโ€™ve always been interested in belly dancing, and now that Iโ€™ve been doing YouTube videos regularly, Iโ€™m seriously considering signing up for a local belly dancing group. (How I would love to create & perform a routine to some ska & rockabilly – The thought of complementing โ€œKing For A Dayโ€ with the chimes of a bellydancing belt is just too adorable! ๐Ÿ˜Š)

On โ€œgo crazyโ€ days, I stick to just yoga, tai chi, and qi gong. And definitely not for 45 minutes!

I realized I have a bit of trouble with tai chi & qi gong because Iโ€™ve been practicing yoga for over 20 years. Yoga is about releasing energy and gradually improving flexibility, balance, & strength; where tai chi & qi gong are more about energy movement & manipulation, and range of motion. The movements in yoga tend to be more โ€œgrandioseโ€ than those with tai chi, so I struggle to slow down and flow with the โ€œchiโ€. But both types of movements have their appropriate times.

Smokingโ€ฆ..

Wellโ€ฆhehโ€ฆoops! ๐Ÿ˜ฌ

(Iโ€™m such an assholeโ€ฆโ€ฆ)

I quit smoking over 6 years ago, when I was pregnant with my oldest. However, I vaped until a couple of months ago when Iโ€™d lowered the nicotine level in my vape so low that I realized it was all psychological habit instead of addiction. So I quit.

I kept a pack of Camels around that Iโ€™d smoke maybe one or two a year if shit hit the fan & I needed a little nihilism.

Well, I needed a little nihilism amidst my recent โ€œmid-life crisisโ€, & now Iโ€™m smoking more than Iโ€™d like to admit.

I gotta quit. Again.

Itโ€™s honestly kinda low on my list of concerns, though, to be honest. (A post on that soonโ€ฆprobably.)

Iโ€™ve really been enjoying sneaking off to the nooks & crannies of my yard to see whatever nature I can while Iโ€™m out there though – hummingbirds, butterflies, chipmunks, & squirrels throwing crabapples at me.

Health Log on Notion

I’ve been using Notion to help me keep track of everything (as always).

I have a database with a template set up to reset daily.

In the properties, I track how many fruits & veggies I eat each day, water, exercise types, calories, steps, cigs, and some other stuff.

The note itself contains my โ€œmindful eating scheduleโ€, a food log, exercise log, and space for reflections (I realized during yoga yesterday how cranky my knees have gotten omg!)

This is making it super easy to not only stay mindful throughout the day but also reflect & pivot as needed each week!

Lessons Iโ€™ve Learned

  • Diet is the most important thing to focus on if you want to lose weight. You can exercise all you want, but if youโ€™re shoveling candy & chips in your face all day, you wonโ€™t make any progress.
  • Exercise is important for overall health. Not just mental & physical vitality, but also to tone up your muscles. So move your ass – Youโ€™ll lose weight a lot quicker!
  • Start small & build up to where you feel like you need to be. I slowly reduced my calorie โ€œallowancesโ€ and started with 5 minutes of exercise (building gradually each week).
  • Do things you enjoy. I like the foods I eat on my schedule, & they make me feel good. I love dance cardio & belly dancing. If I tried jogging daily, it wouldnโ€™t last long (Iโ€™ve tried, & it didnโ€™t.) Do whatever keeps you interested.

Iโ€™ve still got a long way to go, but Iโ€™m damn proud of how far Iโ€™ve come. If youโ€™re working on your own health journey โ€” remember, baby steps and curiosity go a long way. Youโ€™ve got this.

Have you started (or restarted) a health habit lately? Tell me about it โ€” Iโ€™d love to hear.

If you liked this post, please give it a โ€œlikeโ€, share it with friends, and subscribe if youโ€™re new.

Rock on!