Common Sense

Admittedly, I used to be one of the countless numbers of women (okay, some dudes too, but I’m talking to my sisters) who have spent countless number of dollars on exercise and diet plans. Seriously. I have at one time or another willingly handed over hard earned cash for everything from gym memberships to PiYo to P90X and books upon books about what and how and when to eat. I spent a lot of years and a lot of money trying to find the perfect health plan.

I read something the other day that struck me as funny, odd and infuriating all at the same time. Evidently, Reddit published an article about the latest diet trend sweeping the country. I wasn’t surprised that there is a new diet trend. What did surprise me was the backlash it was receiving from dieticians, nutritionists, and so-called health experts. The diet? CICO. Now, to be honest, I’m not sure if it’s pronounced Ch-ee-ko or if you simply say the acronym, C - I - C - O. Whatever the case, the letters stand for a revolutionary new approach to eating. Ready for it? Calories in, calories out. Yep, that’s it. It seems the age-old eat less than you put out approach to weight maintenance is a tried and true method. Shocker. But here’s where it started to get amusing. Experts are beside themselves upset and panicked when it comes to this “new” way of eating. They are citing all sorts of “facts” such as not all calories are created equal, and a calorie is not a calorie and this dangerous approach to health will encourage people to eat less healthy foods.  What?

Am I missing something? This “diet” makes no suggestions about what to eat when to eat or how to exercise. It is simply stating a known fact: if you eat fewer calories than you expend you will lose weight. Period. Now, presumably, one could do that on a diet of Oreos and Pop-Tarts, but is that really what dieticians, trainers, and nutritionists are worried about? I suggest, no. I think experts are worried that if we dumb consumers can figure out this health puzzle on our own, we won’t need to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to have someone tell us what to eat and how to take care of ourselves. Bottom line: they’re worried we might actually be able to take care of ourselves without their expensive expert advice.

Look, we all know, cause our Grandmas and Moms told us so, that eating fruits and vegetables are good for you. We know whole wheat has more fiber and nutrients than white flour and we know that a banana is a better choice than a candy bar when it comes to nutritional value. This is not new news and is, in fact, all true. However, none of this information means that I can’t make the conscious decision to have white flour bread with my sub or a candy bar at the movie and still stay with my daily caloric goals and not destroy my health. It is also true that if my calories in total less than my calories out, regardless of their source, I will lose weight.

Of course not all calories are equal. I can eat 100 calories of broccoli and feel stuffed because of quantity and fiber or I can eat 100 calories of M&M’s and still be hungry. The former aids me in my health goals because I’m not ravenous and searching for food. The latter does not fill me up and I’m probably still looking for food if I’m trying to make a meal out of M&Ms.  However, none of this information negates that fact that my body still took in only 100 calories in each scenario. Regardless of how I feel after or whether or not I go looking for more food, 100 calories is 100 calories is 100 calories.

This is one of the reasons I am not a fan of and have stopped using the terms “real food” and “clean eating.” I love finding healthy alternatives for our favorite foods and experimenting with new recipes. However, after a really depressing bout of trying to follow “food rules” about what could and could not be in our food and obsessing over superfoods and clean foods and real foods,  I’ve opted to end the insanity and just use plain old common sense. Novel idea, right?

After too many years wasted in a vicious cycle of disordered eating I’ve come to understand this truth: All food is real food. Yep - every bit of kale and every Pop-tart has their place in my eating plan.Yes, I eat Pop-tarts and Diet Coke and frozen waffles.  And, no, I don’t lose sleep over ingredients, calories, chemicals, artificial colors or flavors because these foods do not make up the bulk of my diet. (Even if they did, by the way, they’re probably way safer than most health police would have you believe.) Common sense tells me to get some fruit and veg, maybe a whole grain and a lean protein at most meals. Common sense tells me choosing pizza or McDonald’s every now and then isn’t going to kill me anymore than doing one workout or eating one salad will make me a pillar of health. Common sense tells me that too many calories from eating too much of any food will cause me to gain weight and, perhaps more importantly, not feel my best. Common sense tells me that yes, even Whole30, organic, all natural, real, clean eating foods must be eaten in moderation.

Bottom line: Portion control matters. Moderation (in moderation) is a beneficial habit. I should move my body in way that makes me happy everyday. Some foods are better for my health than others and I should try to eat more of those. That said, no food is bad or evil. Food is food. Period.

But, I guess if health really were that easy, I wouldn’t need to pay experts to tell me how to take care of myself. Hmmm….. Maybe the price of health isn’t too high after all. In fact, it could probably be purchased with a just a little common sense.