Inside Scoop: We’ve decided to take back the word diet, and here’s why you should too.

A few weeks ago, we were presenting at the canfitpro World Fitness Expo and talking about how modern society is so diet obsessed. Then someone in the audience asked “well then why have you called your health & nutrition program the ‘N5Diet’?” – and we were so glad she brought up that point.

This was something we struggled with – naming this health and nutrition program that we designed.

We obviously wanted something catchy, something that kind of explained what it was all about, and we didn’t want it to be a weight loss specific plan, or even a diet specific plan.

But, at the same time we didn’t want to be controlled by the word ‘diet’.

By Wiki definition, here is what ‘diet’ means:

“Diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. The word diet often implies the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management reasons (with the two often being related).”

Key phrase = specific intake of nutrition for health and weight management. Key words = nutrition + health.

THIS, and this alone, is the main reason why we’ve decided to take back the word ‘diet’!

TAKING BACK THE WORD DIET: WHERE THE CULTURE IN ‘DIET’ WENT WRONG

We say ‘diet culture’ a lot, because the true meaning of this word has become synonymous with calorie restriction, cutting carbs and trying to lose weight.

How often do you hear “I can’t have that because I’m on a diet” or “yes I know I need to diet”?

Not to straight up put major diets down, because a lot of them have their place in medicine. But, for most people who don’t have serious medical conditions, the way we treat the word diet, and the way we treat our bodies in conjunction with that word has become wildly skewed.

It’s not our fault.

The weight loss industry is a multi-BILLION dollar industry. There are too many diets out there that make big promises of fast weight loss and magical results.

But, with restrictive and incredibly specific diets (for example no carbs, weighing macros, or completely cutting out sugar/dairy and gluten), we have to ask how these weight loss plans aim to be so individualistic that they can adhere to your personal needs rather than a generic plan designed for the masses.

TOO MANY DIETS FAIL TO ASK QUESTIONS

This is why seeking a health plan – or diet, if you must – that’s individualistic turns out to be more successful long-term.

Fad diets, or popular diets often fail to teach, learn and understand the individual by asking very important questions:

• Who is this diet for?
• What is this diet going to do to my body?
• What’s the biology and science behind this diet?
• Why should I choose this diet?
• Why should I eat this specific food to lose weight?
• When I’m done with this diet, how can I implement healthy habits that will last for life?
• How does this diet address my negative body image perceptions?
• How does this diet make me healthier for the long term?

All too often the outcome of said diets result in a specific mindset attached to the final product: skinny, weight loss, fast and perfection.

We want to reclaim the word diet because the meaning really needs to become an individualistic thing – we’re ALL biologically different, we ALL metabolize food differently, and it’s these differences that make us unique and beautiful — no matter what your body size is.

No matter what it’s called, health should almost always be attached to the mindset behind the choices we make on a day-to-day basis, and a positive mindset is one of the best places to start.

Also, the word diet really doesn’t have to be a negative thing. If you’re choosing nutrition, you may NEED to change the way you eat a little bit, and that’s okay.

But these changes don’t have to be drastic, and they can add up over time to make it something you enjoy, rather than a chore.

HERE’S WHY WEIGHT LOSS SHOULD NEVER BE THE END GAME

Have you ever looked at a ‘diet’ as a way to be healthier rather than a weight loss mechanism?

Here’s the issue:

Society has told us to be skinny and fit.

And you should be able to get fit and skinny by just eating right and working out, right?

This mentality is so ass backwards.

First of all, like we mentioned we’re all genetically different. Some of us are lean and mean, some of us are round and proud, and no matter what your shape or size you should NEVER let society dictate your worth just by the way you look.

So, what if we started looking at weight loss as a benefit of becoming much healthier?

Making dietary changes, such as the reduction of certain foods, the addition of more fruits and vegetables, and learning how to cook and prep simple healthy and nutrient dense meals will most likely result in weight loss. Weight loss is, after all, a benefit from being healthy.

But, it’s not the reason why we should choose to live a healthier life. Let’s explain…

• Longevity
• Minimizing symptoms associated with poor health
• More energy
• Less tummy troubles
• Better skin
• Being able to keep up with our kids and grandkids

…these are all incredibly positive outcomes that result from making healthier lifestyle changes, and these results can stick with you for life. They not only benefit you, but also your friends, your family, and your community.

Weight loss too, is a positive result, but it’s associated with a negative mentality. Being overweight, not looking or feeling good, comparing yourself to others — these are issues that don’t necessarily just disappear when you lose the weight.

Because when eventually you choose to eat something like a processed candy bar, the associated fear and guilt creeps in resulting in more negative self-talk and this can create a cyclical or spiral effect.

Negativity, lack of confidence and food shame — these don’t benefit anyone, especially yourself.

We’ll say it again: make it less about the weight loss and more about just being healthy.

WHY THIS IS NOT A DIET-DIET

So, the question we were presented “well why do you call it a diet, if you’re so anti-diet?”

It didn’t evolve from a place of weight loss, restrictions or ‘dieting mentality.’ However, it did evolve from a place of healthy eating and living habits and lifestyle changes to support long-term solutions.

It’s now becoming our mission to reclaim the word ‘diet’ and bring back the basics of health and overall wellness to its true roots.

The N5Diet IS a diet, in a sense, like the sky is blue!

It is about nutrition for health and weight loss management, yes.

But it isn’t about telling you to be anything you’re not, or telling you to eat anything you don’t want to.

A huge portion of it is dedicated to teaching you some MAJOR nutrition skills, like:

• Reading labels so you can make great food choices
• Navigating the grocery store, so it’s not an overwhelming place
• Cooking simple meals so that you can bring healthy back into your busy lifestyle
• Learning how to eat healthier packaged foods
• Learning about portion control and portion management
• Learning about cravings and how to deal with them in a healthy way
• Listening to your body’s food and hunger cues – and dealing with nights out and takeout in a positive way
• Finding a fitness program that works for you
• Learning to stress-less and live more

Like we said, a diet like the sky is blue.

We want you to find your who, what, where, why and when with nutrition, and we’ve designed it to be so.

We want you to ditch the phrase ‘I can’t have’ and embrace your own decisions and your own choices, whether that’s ‘yes’ or ‘not today’ or ‘that doesn’t make me feel good’ or…

‘HELL YA, I WANT PIZZA & A BEER, FOLLOWED BY ICE CREAM!’

N5DIET is about creating healthy habits, making informed choices about the food you’re eating, listening to your body’s cues and not stressing out if you have a slice of ‘white flour, heavy on the sugar and cream’ cake, or you end up having one too many beers on the patio this weekend.

…then maybe it’s time that you reclaim the word ‘diet’ too, and start focusing on what it’s all really about.

“FOOD CONSUMED FOR NUTRITION AND HEALTH PURPOSES”

Click here to learn more about the N5Diet, and if you’re looking for a sneak peek into the N5Diet process, make sure you download your free 5 Day, 5 Ingredient Challenge, by adding your name to the email below:

What are your thoughts on the word diet? Let us know in the comments below.