Diets Suck!

Before I get to the next act.... I want to acknowledge that I'm into the last 1/4 of this blogging adventure. Yesterday, I had completed 75% of the Acts for this journey! YAY! We are in the home stretch!!!

Act 130:

“It’s never too late… To Eat Less

Eating is mostly about habit. And opportunity. If you want to eat less. Have a good reason to do it. Then it will make sense. Set some realistic targets. And enticing rewards for reaching them. Then tryst yourself. And go for it.” – Patrick Lindsay

Quote in book: “One should eat to live, not live to eat.” ~ Molière

When I think of eating less, I think of dieting. Who hates Dieting? Raise your hand . Most diets are all about eating less and starving yourself. But DAMN… – Eating less is no fun! However, this is why most of us Americans are so overweight. We consider large amounts of food at lower prices… “value”. I read an article yesterday about a “Fat Tax” being implemented in Denmark. Denmark is now taxing fattening foods like chips and hamburgers. This article pondered whether or not we should implement a “Fat Tax” here in the US. I, just like the author of the article, don’t think something like that would work. It’s been ingrained in us, as kids, to eat badly. Making it cost more won’t really deter us from eating it. However, it will increase the financial gap between the rich and the poor and it will only make it so there are more people who can’t afford health care.

I agree with everything that the article says. A “Fat Tax” is a good idea in principle, but it really won’t work unless the tax is really really high. It’s just like the tax on cigarettes doesn’t really deter people from smoking. Those that are hooked will always be hooked and those that aren’t yet, will never even realize that the tax is really supposed to be a deterrent. And that is only if you buy into the fact that the “Fat Tax” is supposed to deter people from eating fatty foods. Let’s look at it for what it really is. It’s just a way of getting more money. When you look at it from that perspective, I like it. But don’t stop there… let’s tax the crap out of the non essentials. Tax the SHIT out of those new iPhones and electronics and luxury items. How about taxing Alcohol even more or taxing cosmetics or Viagra or cosmetic surgery? Let’s call it the “boobs and sex tax”! haha

So, if a “Fat Tax” won’t help us eat better or even eat less. What will? Will lowering the cost of healthy food? No, not really. It’s been so ingrained in us to eat badly. So, does dieting really work? Does eating less really work? I was on nutrisystem for a while and that diet was really about portion control. I found that it worked for a while. Then I did the 6 week body makeover. This diet is all about eating smaller portions, but more often. In fact, in some cases it’s more food than normal. But more “good/healthier” food.

Eating less does help you lose weight, but in order to lose weight you have to cut out the right foods and eat the right kind of food for your body. Also, you can’t do it on food alone. You need to exercise as well.

As for an update on my weight loss, I gained 5 lbs on my trip to Europe, so I have like 15 lbs to lose to meet my goal for the end of the year. I just need to focus and start eating better. Eating less of the bad foods and more of the good foods… this means less snacking. No more eating after 10 pm. No more pure sugary foods and/or no more junk food. If I am gonna snack, it should be on vegetables and fruit.

Here's a trick to save your fruit that’s going bad. Last week I made juice cubes. I mixed grapes, clementine juice and mango juice together in a blender, but I didn’t really want a smoothie at that moment. So I poured the mixture into my ice cube trays. Yesterday, I put the juice cubes in my sprite zero. It tasted really really good. You an also use them as cubes in water, or in your vodka or alcohol to give it that fruit flavor w/out paying for it. Or eat the cubes like a grenata. So maybe if I’m snacking on or putting the juice cubes in my drinks, maybe I’ll eat less because I won’t crave something sweet and gorge on dessert. – haha I thought I did a pretty good job of tying that in. hehe.

If you have any tips on ways to eat less or on diets… or even if you have an opinion on the “Fat Tax” I’d love to hear it. =)