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Excerpts from the introduction to Staying
Off the Diet Roller Coaster
by Linda Omichinski, RD
Welcome To
Your New Life
You
are about to start life all over again, without the burden of
the diet mentality. Or, maybe you've already shucked that mentality
and opted for a saner, healthier, way to live. Because the diet
rollercoaster-dieting, going off the diet, feeling guilty and
worthless, going back on the diet-is no way to go through life.
Whether you're off it or trying to dismount, you need support;
that's what this book is all about.
Stopped
exercising? Find yourself eating a lot more sweets? Is Jenny
Craig starting to look like the only solution? I know how tough
it is to fend off the urge to diet in the face of the constant
pressure from the multi-billion dollar weight loss and advertising
industries. Not to mention the demands of your busy life which
make it hard to find the time to exercise and eat right. But
try this book first. You don't have to read it all; simply turn
to the chapter that meets your immediate needs to help you get
back in balance. Your goal: a healthy lifestyle without ever
dieting again
If
you're new to a lifestyle without diets, don't panic. You may
be thinking: "Does this mean I'll never lose weight?"
Not at all. Since the non-diet approach emphasizes health instead
of weight, as you adopt a healthier lifestyle, you probably will
lose weight. But either way, you'll allow yourself to enjoy life
instead of putting it on hold until after you've lost the weight.
This
book is a balance of inspiration and advice. You will hear stories
of actual people, people like you, who will take you into the
pages of your own life. Each chapter focuses on a different challenge
in your journey of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and offers
articles by people like yourself, people who are living a lifestyle
without diets. You'll hear from some nondiet writers more than
once and appreciate their special perspectives. Each chapter
offers a "Taking It Deeper" section: reflective questions
on the content for those of you who want to work further on the
issues. The quizzes that appear throughout the book are a great
way to chart your progress.
Here's
how to make this book work for you:
Place
yourself in the stories and you'll find advice relevant to your
situation.
Try
the "Taking It Deeper" questions to stimulate your
own progress. This can lead to the journalling. You may choose
to share your insight with others from these self-discoveries.
I've found that telling someone else increases your likelihood
of creating a personal action plan .
Create
your own guided journal. It's an invaluable way to understand-and
change--your current patterns.
Don't
stop here. There are many other excellent support tools at your
disposal:
- Check
out the various online support options available to you at hugs.com.
Message board posts, chat room exchanges and potential email
buddying enable you to get what you need when you need it.
- Try
audio affirmations -- an effective tool for change that works
hand-in-hand with the advice given in this book. Among other
benefits, you will be helped to reframe your negative language
into positive self-talk. This skill is transferable to other
areas of your life. See the order form on page tk when you're
ready.
- Gather
with others for a support group to grow your lifestyle. Discussion
focused on the reflective questions from each chapter will ensure
that your group is enabling rather than complaining.
- Read
other books to support your lifestyle without diets. You Count,
Calories Don't was my first book and it gives you a deeper
understanding of the concepts with lots of practical ideas. Tailoring
Your Tastes, our concept cookbook, trains you in how to acquire
a taste for foods that are lower in fat, sugar and salt and higher
in fiber so that you are eating these kinds of selections by
choice.
Enjoy
the journey.
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