|
Doing what makes Body Sense
with Ali Hale
I interview Ali Hale (from The Office Diet) on what makes Body Sense to her Ali, I've been following your writing on The Diet Blog for a few years now, and the one thing I notice is that they seems to make 'body sense'. What's your personal history with weight that drives your passion for this topic? I was quite chubby as a child, then put on a lot of "puppy fat" when I hit puberty -- I was about fifty pounds overweight during my teens. I'm quite introverted by nature, and being overweight made me lack self-confidence, particularly as I was bullied quite a lot aged 13-16. I tried to "diet" a few times, with no success, then when I was eighteen, something finally clicked. I started writing down everything I ate and counting calories, and by the time I went to university six months later, I was a healthy weight.
From all the research and reading you've done about things that make body sense: What would you say are the 5 best non-dieting tips you've gleaned? A lot of my favourite blogs and books have a "non-dieting" emphasis. These are five common (and in my opinion great) body sense tips: 1. Don't diet - eat healthily (we tend to associate "diet" with "deprivation").
2. Choose natural foods over processed ones.
3. Make food something to enjoy wholehearted with family/friends, not something to obsess or fret over.
4. Eat things that make you feel good -- foods that give you energy and lift your mood.
5. Exercise should be a treat, not a chore. Find ways of getting active that you really enjoy.
What does the diet industry try to sell us that, knowing what you know about body sense, you wouldn't buy? Diet pills. They don't work, and some are actively harmful. Acomplia, a drug formerly prescribed by doctors in the UK, has recently been withdrawn due to causing psychiatric problems. Weight-loss pills have very little effect very little effect, and greater results would be achieved by simply eating healthily. Plus, I know I personally would rather do something that makes body sense and avoid many of the common side effects, like headaches, diarrhoea or constipation, insomina, high blood pressure... Slimfast, or any other meal replacements. These reinforce the "diet" mentality and don't teach healthy eating habits.
I know we continually hear: eat less and exercise more but that patently isn't working. What other factors do you think we haven't been taking into account that might explain why even though we have more gyms and low- and no fat foods, along with sugar-free foods, that we're getting fatter and unhealthier? I think the problem is two-fold:1. Some of us ARE taking the advice on board and exercising and eating healthily -- just read the comments on Diet Blog, or take a look at some of the fantastic health/fitness blogs out there (Cranky Fitness) is one of my favourites). Many others, unfortunately, aren't listening to the advice. Here in the UK, only one in five women meet the government's recommended guidelines of exercising five times a week for at least thirty minutes (see this netdoctor article), and only a third of adults eat the recommended minimum of five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. 2. Low-fat, no-fat and sugar-free foods can be misleading. Something low-fat might be packed with sugar; something sugar-free might be full of fat. (After all, the food has to made up of SOMETHING!) Frankly, if your diet is unhealthy to begin with, switching to lower-fat chips and lower-sugar jelly and candy isn't going to make a huge difference. Eating fruit and veg, wholegrains and healthy unprocessed foods will.
What habits and attitudes do you think are most necessary for healthy and natural weight loss that makes body sense? The crucial factor is that you must WANT to lose weight. The reason that I went on several diets from the age of 13 with no success was because I felt I SHOULD lose weight -- and that won't encourage you over the long-term of natural, healthy weight-loss (which is not quick). You need that "aha" moment when something clicks, and you just KNOW you're going to lose weight. Once you're on the weight loss path, though, I think these habits and attitudes all help immensely:
1. Don't be a perfectionist. That one "accidental" cookie doesn't ruin your diet. That three-week binge because you "might as well give up now" does.2. Use your weight loss journey as a chance to try out lots of new foods . I was a horribly picky eater as a child and teen, and I discovered some wonderful foods whilst dieting -- I'm very into seafood now, in particular.3. Don't equate "a treat" with "something bad". Make exercise a treat. Make a ginormous salad packed with colors a treat. Make one single square of really good rich dark chocolate a treat. Treats are things that make you feel good. Ali runs The Office Diet and Alpha Student and writes regularly for The Diet Blog (and a number of other blogs). When she's not blogging, she's busy being a postgrad stutarget="new"dent (Creative Writing), writer and website creator. She firmly believes that any healthy eating plan should allow room for chocolate. (and I, Cari, say "Hallelujah, my sentiments exactly!")
If you find the ditch-diets-live-light website useful, please recommend it to your friends.  |  |  |  |  | |
Best Weight
Products | Your opinion for
a free e.course | | Your Story/Poem
& Feedback | Our community
& newsletter |
Return from body sense to Hompage
|
