We are currently living in a world that is overwhelmed by diet culture. We are much more aware of what we are consuming and of the ways that we are treating our bodies than any generation before us. It feels as if we are constantly looking for the next big thing, the next fad diet, the next perfect fitness routine that will provide an easy fix.

And how do we weigh our successes? A scale.

Our society has an undeniable obsession with weight loss. An article by the Washington Post, “Why You Should Stop Trying to Lose Weight”, mentions a quote from neuroscientist, Sandra Aamodt: “‘It’s crazy that as a society we have chosen to focus on weight loss rather than improving fitness and nutrition, which are easier and more important.’” We are holding ourselves to impossible standards in pursuit of a certain image of health. Of course it isn’t a bad thing to be conscious of our fitness levels or of our diets; we just have to do it in a different way. We have to use a different scale.

Instead of weighing yourself, weigh your choices. What’s more important- eating that fast food or sticking to your vow to eat clean? Sitting on the couch all day or growing closer to accomplishing you fitness goals? You don’t need a quick fix- you need a lifestyle change (hyperlink to article about new normal). You need to learn how to make smart decisions. Not because of a number on a scale, but because you only get one body and it needs you to care of it! So begin measuring success in a new way. Ditch that old scale and pick up this one.

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How many times have we started a new “diet” at the beginning of the New Year, and how many times have we thrown in the towel by Valentine’s Day? Let’s try something new this year. No “diets.” Let’s try a lifestyle change instead. Let’s change the way we think about food, meals, and cooking.

The first significant lifestyle change that I made, approximately 10 years ago, was the beginning of an eye-opening journey. I  hought I knew so much about food. Silly me. I decided to clean out my pantry and all of my cabinets and do a kitchen takeover. I removed all “foods” that contained any form of chemical or non-food ingredient. I read every label and got rid of tons of things that my family and I had become dependent on. Let’s just say there wasn’t much left to nibble on when I was done.

Then it was off to the grocery store. Time to replace all the favorites with healthy versions of the same. 10 years ago, we didn’t have anywhere near the healthy options we do now. Today, we really have no excuse. There are tons of choices within a few mile radius.

My proposal is to start here. Start with your kitchen. It is the heart of the home. It is where most families tend to spend the majority of their time. Start at the heart. Get it healthy and strong. Turn it from a hazard zone into a safe place. Remove the toxins and the “nonfood” items. Replace them with your favorite healthy choices. Choose whole foods that are not processed. This way, when you go to grab something to eat, you don’t need to think about it. You know that anything in your kitchen is going to be a good choice.

– Elyce Jacobson

Elyce Jacobson (“Chef”) received her formal education at Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School. An interest in whole foods and healthy cooking led Chef to supplement her formal culinary training with studies at the Natural Gourmet Cooking School. Chef’s experience includes launching a catering business for The City Bakery in Manhattan and catering for Estee Lauder, Good Day New York, Saturday Night Live, and countless celebrities, friends, and families throughout the tri-state. Chef Elyce has been a contestant on CNN2/HLN Network’s “Cook Your Ass Off.” Her expertise in “sneaking healthy into delicious food” has enabled her to assist in the body transformations of many as Co-Founder of the Skinny Buddha brand.

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