The last few weeks I have not been following any sort of diet plan. I am not considering any foods to be off limits or any foods to be categorized as "bad". I am not following any strict rules regarding what I eat or when I eat. I am simply trying to eat, and be, healthier; but it is not a simple black or white scenario anymore.
What I have noticed with this change from always dieting to no dieting at all is I am overall much happier :) I would always be happier and get an almost giddy feeling when I ate what I wanted (foods that were considered bad), but now it's more of a general overall feeling. In addition, during times of dieting, I would often feel depressed and guilty regarding food and my body. This is not gone away but it has become less.
I still get worried and a little anxious over not following a rigid set of rules for eating, and I'm afraid I will just get bigger and bigger; but so far so good. I am actually eating a little less, I think. Before, I would eat larger amounts of food and binge often because the next diet was right around the corner and who knows when you would get to stuff your face with the forbidden foods again. Now, I try to stop eating when I am feeling full; even if my plate isn't empty. Sometimes I have a little trouble with this, especially when it's something delicious :) but I am having many more leftovers to eat at another time instead of stuffing myself and likely eating something else again later anyway.
Some of my food the past week or two: