Diets, Kaizen, and the Art of Undieting

I often get asked which diets I recommend.

The answer is simple.

None. I don’t do diets.

Diets suck. Dieting sucks. Diets are temporary. The weight loss they bring is temporary. They lead to the development of bad habits. They’re often unhealthy. They aren’t fun. They don’t make people happy. They’re restrictive. They focus on thinness instead of health. They caused that volcano in Iceland to erupt.

Okay, that last one’s not true, but they do make you do stupid things like count calories, or worse, count “points”.

It’s food, people. It doesn’t have f*cking points.

So no, I don’t recommend diets. In fact, I recommend you undiet.

And to that end I’ve decided to start a gang.

Alright, maybe calling it a gang isn’t a good idea. How bout a league? No, that sucks. Group? Boring. Autonomous collective? Too vague of a Monty Python reference that most people won’t get.

Let’s go with a tribe. I’m starting a tribe of Undieters today.

In his book “Tribes”, Seth Godin states that a group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.

Hey, we’ve got that right here!

So tribe it is. Today membership is officially open in the Great Tribe of Undieters.

You want in? Simply follow the lifestyle of an Undieter. It’s simple, and it doesn’t involve counting points.

Here is the Undieter’s Modus Vivendi:

I don’t want short term fixes, I want lifetime health and fitness.
I realize food is not the problem. My relationship with food might be a problem, but one that I can fix.
I realize going on a temporary diet to lose weight is a short term fix to a long term problem, and any weight lost will most likely come back. So I’m done with diets.
I want to be the healthiest person that I can be, and that starts with healthy nutrition. There are no magic pills, potions, or secrets. I just need to eat clean, healthy, high-quality food in reasonable amounts. And I can do that whether I’m a believer of vegetarianism, veganism, primal eating, or something in between, because the common thread is that no matter which path I choose, I eat real food and avoid processed crap posing as food.
I want to focus on the quality of my food, not obsess over the quantity.
Eating right and exercising regularly are necessary components of a healthy lifestyle, no different than brushing my teeth or showering.
I’m not perfect and never will be. I’m doing my best today, and will apply the concept of kaizen to be a better me tomorrow.
I understand that stress is a choice, and that stressing out over my weight is counterproductive, so I will no longer do it. Stress kills.
I’m a positive person and realize that negative energy will only draw more negative energy into my life. I don’t let the stupid shit bother me, nor do I let negative people pollute me with their negative vibes. Their negative attitude is a reflection on their mental junk, not on me.
I don’t whine about problems. I actively search for the solutions and understand that nothing happens until I take action.
There aren’t failures, only results. If I don’t get the results I want, I’ll try something else.
My situation is my responsibility. My parents, my children, the government, my friends, my boss, republicans, democrats, or anyone else, are not responsible for my happiness. I’m as happy as I choose to be. And I choose to be pretty freaking happy.
I realize life is too short not to enjoy it as much as possible.

Now if you really want to be a member of the tribe, a real Undieter, you need to believe these things. Simply doing what you’re told, instead of what you truly believe, is not a lifestyle. It’s a prison sentence.

I’m not trying to convince you that the Undieting lifestyle is correct, I’m just telling you what I believe. I believe in it just as I believe the sun will rise tomorrow. Not because some guru told me to believe, but because I know I’m who I want to be because of these principles.

Don’t follow the Undieter’s Modus Vivendi because I told you to. Follow it because you believe it.

~Dave

About the Author

Dave Soucy is a coach, trainer, motivator, husband, dad, and former fat guy. His goal is to teach as many people as possible how to achieve a life of health, fitness, and wellness through simply eating right and exercising. Click here to learn more about Dave.

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http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000471714094 Vaughn Tamzarian

Mt. Saint Helen erupted because you invented the QCFL.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000471714094 Vaughn Tamzarian

Mt. Saint Helen erupted because you invented the QCFL.
http://topsy.com/www.davesoucy.com/2010/06/undieting/?utm_source=pingback&utm_campaign=L2 Tweets that mention Diets, Kaizen, and the Art of Undieting — Topsy.com

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