If you’re anything like me, you cringe when people talk about the latest diet fad or a recent juice cleanse that changed their life. For the most part, I think diets are stupid. Now, before you assume I hate being healthy, let me explain. Diets–as far are the popular ones go–are designed to help you lost weight relatively quickly by starving your body of necessary proteins, fats, or other nutrients. Diets also require you to make big, unrealistic sacrifices when it comes to food and drink. There’s no room for error, a glass of wine, or chocolate. And, many diets even promote the idea that, if you just eat right, you can lose weight without exercise. Now, of course, that is true, but it’s not healthy. My beef with fad diets is that most of them don’t actually promote healthy habits; they promote fast weight loss and/or the illusion of healthy eating. For example, there are many popular applications you can use to track calorie consumption. I used calorie counting twice to lose weight, once effectively and once ineffectively. How could it have only worked the one time? It had to do with the food I was eating. Did you know that half of a standard brownie is the same amount of calories as a medium apple? Guess which one I would choose. You may argue that if I made healthy choices while counting calories, it would be effective–and it was when I did that. Yet, when I was still eating the recommended amount of calories to lose weight and not losing it, I realized diets should be–nay, need to be–about making healthy choices that are reasonably easy to continue into a lifelong commitment to healthy eating and exercise.

So, all of this led me to the Internet. I wanted to know if there was a diet out there that didn’t require me to sacrifice everything I loved, allowed me to make really good food, and promoted exercise. I spent a few hours researching (as I am wont to do), paying particular attention to what legitimate doctors have said about particular diets and diets in general. I was searching for the Holy Grail of diets. The reason I was even looking in the first place is due to the fact that I gained a lot of weight in the past school year and really struggled to find time to take care of myself. Teaching full-time, working part-time, and being a part-time grad student made my free time very limited. I continually exercised (~3 times/week), but food was whatever was available–and sometimes that wasn’t always the best option. Plus, I got to a point where I was so heavy, I was ready to just give up. It wasn’t as though I would call myself fat, but I was definitely overweight; I was too heavy for my size, and most of my clothes stopped fitting. I became worried about my appearance, of course, but I was mostly worried about my health. Therefore, I wanted a diet focused on health and not on weight loss. I didn’t want to want to diet just to lose weight; it’s discouraging and perpetuates our societal obsession with thinness (when it really should be health). This was the first time I ever looked for a diet like this. In the past, I’ve just gone for weight loss and, once I lost the weight, I would go back to my “regular” lifestyle (i.e. wine and carbs).

Folks, I am happy to report I did find the diet of my dreams. And, in fact, you might even consider it a “fad diet”. It appears to be a pretty popular long-term weight loss diet. (For the difference between short-term and long-term weight loss diets and why fad diets are bad, click here.) It’s called the Mediterranean Diet, and I can’t believe I’m saying this: it’s changed my life. I know that’s the absurd phrase I hate hearing from other people about whatever diet they are on, but it’s actually true in this case. Diets, for the most part, do change your life. Maybe you need to cook more and eat out less. Maybe you need to sacrifice vegging out on the couch to go to the gym. This diet, however, seemed to fit with my lifestyle better than others I have tried. There is no counting calories or macros and micros. You don’t have to suddenly become a nutritionist to understand this diet. It’s actually pretty simple. It’s based around the idea that people who live in Mediterranean countries actually eat healthier than the rest of the world. The diet requires that you sit back, eat slowly, and enjoy your food. You also need to exercise regularly and avoid snacking if possible. (If you must snack, go for fruits, raw vegetables, nuts, or Greek yogurt.) If you’re interested in learning more about the types of restrictions and requirements for my diet, check out this article; it was the most helpful thing I read when I started the diet.

The diet is something that seems sustainable with a little bit of sacrifice. My long-term goal would be, once I get to a healthy weight, incorporate some things that I love back into my diet. I want to be able to have dessert maybe once a week and eat out with my friends every once and a while. For now, though, I’m stuck following it pretty strictly. Here are the good and the bad parts of sticking to this particular strict diet:

Pro:  I get to eat cheese and drink red wine.

Con: I crave pizza at least once a week.

Pro: The food I cook is actually really delicious.

Con: I spent about 3-4 hours/day cooking.

 

 

Pro: When people come over, they enjoy whatever I cook even though it’s part of my diet.

Con: When people come over, I can’t drink cocktails with them.

Pro: Greek/Mediterranean restaurants allow me to eat out with ease.

Con: Eating out anywhere else is such a big hassle. Also, if you go over to someone’s house to eat, you can’t really force them to cook within your dietary restrictions; it’s rude.

Pro: I’ve learned a lot about healthy foods and what my body needs.

Con: Sometimes I’m sick of drinking water and just want a Diet Coke.

I’m really happy with the results of this diet. Not only have I lost 9 pounds in the 34 days since I started this diet, but I also feel really good. I feel healthy and strong. I’m not as tired during the day, and my brain is alert and focused. I’m just happy this diet is something I truly believe is sustainable and is helping me create better habits for the future.

 

–M