Have a diet. DO NOT diet.

Have a diet (noun) - the food and drink that one habitually eats.

Do not diet (verb) - restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of food in order to lose weight.

Every time I ever tried to “go on a diet” I failed miserably. Dieting is attempting a quick fix through restriction & deprivation and reinforces the idea of a finish line. “Going on a diet” results in weakness, lethargy, hanger, hanxiety, and the inevitable “falling off the diet” which causes shame, anger, sadness, frustration, and an unhealthy relationship with food. And this is just the beginning of your problems.

Instead, ask yourself, “How can I eat for the rest of my life in a way that’s healthy, nutritious, enjoyable, sustainable, and makes me feel great?”

“You have to get healthy to lose weight NOT lose weight to get healthy.” – Diane Schwarzbein

Take the thinking out of it by creating a go-to diet/meal plan that you default to most of the time. Measure once, eat a thousand times, and adjust as you go and find better ways.

Don’t “diet” to lose weight. Create a diet [nutrition plan] that helps you be healthy and feel great.

[NOTE: the ultimate goal/final boss/Nirvana is intuitive eating. Intuitive eating is listening to your body's natural hunger and fullness cues. It’s a healthy relationship with food, trusting yourself, and eating mindfully.]