DIET VERSUS HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHANGE

So why am I blogging and making a commitment to lose 66# by my 66th birthday in a year?  What makes me think I can be successful this time when I haven't been successful in losing more than 30# in the last 25 years?  And why were those 30# quickly regained? What makes this time different from the dozens of other diets I have tried? BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT I FINALLY GET IT....after a year of sporadically practicing clean eating I am finally ready to make this a permanent change because I realize that I am worth it.   Maybe I get it because I am getting older. Maybe I get it because the clean eating and mindful eating seems so right.  It goes along with all of the nutritional education I have had.  Maybe I get it because I have worked with the elderly my whole life and I know how important it is to be as healthy as possible as we approach our 70's and 80's and beyond.  Many of you may know that my Dad lived to the age of 100 and had a high quality of life until his death. I don't know or even care if I make it to 100 but I do know that I want the quality of my life to be excellent until I die.  Even though I have no significant health issues beyond my arthritis right now, I know it is only a matter of time that my obesity may lead to high blood pressure or diabetes or other complications.  Won't you join me on this journey? 


More than 100 million Americans were on a diet in 2012, reports ABC News. The weight-loss industry rakes in $20 billion annually -- with diet plans and supplements that promise to help you lose weight and keep it off -- and still nearly 70 percent of American adults remain overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While diets may help you lose some weight temporarily, lifestyle change is the key to long-term weight maintenance and health.


A diet consists of temporarily changing your eating habits to promote a certain outcome -- commonly weight loss -- before returning to your previous eating habits. On the other hand, a lifestyle change consists of adopting healthy overall habits that promote long-term weight control and health. In addition, diets focus on food intake, while lifestyle changes incorporate what you eat along with other factors that affect weight and health, such as physical activity. Where weight loss is concerned, a diet provides a temporary solution and singular approach to a multifaceted, long-term health issue.


from http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/diet-vs-lifestyle-change-11130.html