Diet or Program?

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Misconceptions Surface

So many people have asked me if I am on a diet.  I am thinner in the face and loosing inches so my clothes are becoming a bit roomy.  I am not on a DIET!! I am learning how to be a healthy eater- consumer.  I am on a program not Diet.

Big - BiG - BIG difference!!!

I am sure I have mentioned that Take Shape For Life is not a diet, it is a program for changing your eating lifestyle to incorporate healthy choices.  If one is truly on the Take Shape For Life program, then one is reading Dr. Anderson's book  Habits of Health  and creating changes by using the companion work book Living a Longer Healthier Life.

We've all lost hundreds of pounds doing diets.  Diets work to loose weight, but diets don't work if you want to keep the weight off.  

TSFL works to keep the weight off, because we learn how to make wise choices concerning our food and activity level to maintain a healthy thin body.

Your coach is your lifeline and mentor.  Your coach should be guiding you on your journey and helping you understand the changes that are occurring in your life. A coach should be able to answer your questions, or find answers for you by learning more themselves.  They should be able to steer you to information to help you learn and answer your questions. 

One thing a TSFL newbie mentioned is that they are tempted to take tastes or bites of food such as french fries, cookies and cakes. They are wondering if these little bites will affect their weight loss progress.

This is my opinionated answer. If you take a bite here and there, you will probably not do much harm, physically that is.  The harm is mentally believing that just a taste won't hurt me.  Then it is easier to take another taste, then the program begins to be harder and weight loss slower and your momentum is lost and you will most likely quit the program. 

This is not only true for Take Shape For Life, but for any other program (or diet) you might be on.  Try to choose a weight loss lifestyle changing program and not a diet!!

You need to decided what you truly want for you body.  If thin and healthy is what you want, then giving up unhealthy foods is a wise choice.  Giving up these foods are not just for during the program, they will be gone for life- or should be for life.  When you are maintaining your weight, you will be able to sample these foods again, if you choose. Every great once in a while you might choose to have a fast food greasy drippy meal, you might even like it.  But I will bet that you won't really enjoy it.  Because you will know that thin feels better than unhealthy foods taste.

Who would want to eat something that would defeat the statement:

  "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels." 

I challenge everyone and all of us who are on the Take Shape For Life program, to read (or re-read) and do the workbook by Dr. Anderson- Habits of Health** and really desire to change our eating habits this time and obtain a Healthy body and mind through eating healthy foods and incorporating fitness in to our lifestyle.

**If you are on the Take Shape For Life plan and don't have these great books, please order them, I can help you do this.  

If you are not on the program but would like to learn how to achieve a healthier eating lifestyle, (his book is written for everyone), let me know and I can order copies of Dr. Anderson's book and workbook for you.

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