Big D vs. Little d.

When I was in Weight Watchers, we talked about alternative low calorie foods we could eat in lieu of high calories stuff. One, I remember fondly was boiling cauliflower to mush, adding a pat of butter (one fat exchange) and it would taste just like potatoes.

Except it didn’t. There was just no way to make cauliflower taste like potatoes. Sure if you mashed it up good, it could potentially pass for mashed potatoes but once it went in your mouth, your brain immediately knew it wasn’t. Believe or not I liked the mashed cauliflower but when I’m craving a potato, I want a potato and if I didn’t have my one potato, somewhere down the line I wouldn't be able to stop eating potatoes.

Last week I talked about learning the difference between healthy eating and sometimes it’s okay to give into a cravings.

This week, I want to talk about the difference between the Diets and diet.

When I used the capital D, I mean Diets whose sole purpose is for you to lose weight. These diets are often less calories than your body needs and have a long term large failure rate. They can also cause weight cycling with is detrimental to your health, low self esteem. It is a 60 billion dollar industry that wants to make sure it keeps its money. This is the Cauliflower masquerading as mash potatoes. 

Little d means what you generally eat every day. For example my diet (little d) is of lean meats, veggies, fruits, complex carbohydrates and a some simple carbohydrates for my enjoyment. Instead of listening to a Diet plan made up by people who have never met me or know anything about my body (except that I was fat, therefore a potential cash cow), I listened to my body and came up with a diet that would suit it. Healthy foods that run it well, occasionally delicious treats that improved my mood and made me not feel deprived without worry if this would make me gain weight or help me lose it. 

When I say Diets don’t work (Link last years don’t diet), I always mean weight loss Diets.

Today is International No Dieting Day. May 6th is a day to chuck that Big D diet. The way that tells you that you are worthless unless you lose weight.

Remember when your body wants a potato, let it have one and give it as side order of cauliflower not because you will lose weight but it's good for you.   

Comments

[BlueBindweed]

I actually absolutely love mashed cauliflower made with milk and butter... but I don't expect it to be mashed potatoes. And I adore mashed potatoes, too. There's a big difference between eating a food for its own sake and trying to substitute for the food you really, really want.

[Maria]

You are absolutely right. I often hear "wise" advices, like: "eat an apple when you want a sweet" or "fibre from vegetables will make you feel full for a long time" and so on. All this is totally bullshit for me. When I want a sweet, an apple is good when there is nothing else. Veggies alone (I mean without starch and fat portion) inevitably make me even more hungry than before a meal, with the addition of you know... excited bowels. I love veggies, however,but there must be something substantial in the meal, my body knows when I am cheating. And a food which leave me satisfied for a long time is usually rich in fat. Maybe my stomach doesn't know it should feel full after a tiny portion of wholegrain and a carrot, but it knows what it wants :)