Week 3: Diet

di et  noun  

1. the kinds of food that a person, animal or community habitually eats
2. a regular occupation or series of activities in which one participates
3. a special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons.

If you hear the word “diet”, which of the above definitions comes to mind? I am betting that most people will think of definition number three. I am also betting that most people almost never think of definitions one and two. I know that it was that way for me before I started my most recent fitness journey. I also suspect that is one of the many reasons why I failed all those other times.

See, definition three up there has an underlying implication that those diet restrictions are temporary, and in the past that was exactly the mindset I had. I would think to myself “I only have to do this until I lose the weight and then I can go back to eating what I was eating before all of this.” Thinking about it now I see how absolutely ridiculous that was, and I’m not sure where my head was back then.

This time around, when I hear the word “diet” I think more along the lines of definitions one and two. When I say diet, I’m talking about the fact that I now eat mostly plant based foods with an occasional serving of meat or dairy. I’m on a “diet” of daily exercise and healthy food. In writing this seems like a small difference in perspective, but in reality it is significant. I’m not on a diet, but rather I've changed my diet. I've changed the series of activities I participate in on a daily basis. Permanently.