The ‘Yes’ Diet

I have always been aware of my weight, even as a young child I can remember being very aware that I was a little bit bigger than my friends. My mum was always on a diet and I know that will have played a part in my own body image and relationship with food. Being a mother myself I know I do not want to put that onto my own children and so over the last few years I have come to accept my body. I have come to love the body that gave me my two beautiful children but it hasn’t changed the fact that I have still be a little over weight.

I no longer look in the mirror and hate the woman looking back at me, I no longer wish to be thinner. That change in mindset has had a profound effect on my eating habits and in the last month or so I have lost almost a stone- without even trying! I thought I would share what I have done and hopefully inspire you to change the way you feel about your body too.

The years I have spent being on a diet have been the most miserable years of my life. I have tried them all, the Atkins, The Superfood, Weight Watchers, I can’t even remember them all but I know they never worked. There has only ever been one that worked and that was the Slimming World plan, but even then, once you come off it you pile the pounds back on. All of those diets have one thing in common- they make you say no. No to cheese, no to sauce, no to carbs. No no no no no.

It is time to say yes!

Over the last month I have not said no to anything and suddenly, when there are no limits imposed on my diet I have not wanted those bad foods so much. In the past I might have eaten a whole packet of Pringles to myself because they weren’t allowed. Now, there is a packet in the cupboard and I am just not interested. I might have one or two but I can resist the rest. No calorie counting, no points system. Just me, being a grown up and making better decisions.

I have always made my own sauces, people think it is hard or that they will lack flavour compared to a jar of something. Well it isn’t difficult at all- get yourself some Passata and some herbs and there is your flavour with none of the additives and calories! Sit down, make a meal plan and stick to it, no panic eating, no takeaways- unless you really want one and that is ok! I had a McDonalds the other day and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Something I have always struggled with is portion control and so to counteract the mounds of pasta I make sure I do enough exercise each day. Walking backwards and forwards from school each day equates to about 4 miles and it has definitely made a difference. In fact as time has gone on my portions have naturally become smaller as I am just not wanting to stuff my face to the point of feeling ill.

I used to eat for comfort and it was a vicious circle as the more I hated myself and the more I wished I could eat bad foods, the more I would eat those bad foods! Then I would feel bad about it and the circle would begin again! Learning to accept my body and having the driving force that is my children has broken that circle. My body is beautiful, it housed and cared for those two precious babies and finally opening my eyes to that has made me see that I need to look after myself.

I look in the mirror now and enjoy finding outfits to wear. I no longer think about covering lumps and bumps and just think about what clothes make me feel good. The better I feel about myself the more I love the way the clothes fit and the more confident I feel about wearing different outfits. My confidence will be what my children see and they will grow up loving their bodies. People like to blame the media but it is ourselves we need to be looking at, the way we behave and the way we teach our children.

My body is beautiful, I fill it with the food it needs and when I fancy a treat I have one. If a bar of chocolate makes me happy then that happy state of mind will have a positive impact on my relationship with food. My girls will learn by my example and they will never have to be on a diet.

So how about you, do you love your body? Maybe it is time for you to say yes!