Most diets are all about taking everything away.
Take away grains. Take away legumes. Take away all fat. Take away cooked foods. Take away white foods. Take away processed foods. Take away sugar. Take away meats. Take away eggs. Take away ______________ (you fill in the blank).
Take away, take away, take away.
You see what I mean? We are constantly being told to take away and if you are anything like me, when people tell me I absolutely can’t have something, I often want it even more. (That’s probably a character flaw in myself. 
) Not that we don’t need to take away things when we lose weight, but it shouldn’t be the only thing we focus on.
When I finally decided to lose weight, I didn’t take much away at first, although I did give myself a moratorium on chocolate for awhile. While I paid attention to eliminating unhealthy fats from my diet (think Oreos and fast food), I also focused on adding healthy fats.
Instead of taking away a lot of things, I found myself focusing on adding things to my life.
This concept of adding to our lives when we lose weight instead of taking things away can be very uplifting and freeing.
As you go about your quest to lose weight, I’d encourage you to think about the “Addition Factor.” The beauty of this is that as you add healthy foods and healthy habits to your life, those unhealthy habits and foods you have may become less and less appealing. In other words, the healthy can begin to crowd out the unhealthy.
Here are some ideas when it comes to adding health:
1. Add sleep. Some studies indicate that good sleep habits may play a role in weight loss and weight maintenance. On a personal level, I found that once I started working out regularly, I slept better, which may have helped me lose weight.
2. Add vegetables and fruits. So simple yet so hard for a lot of people. Our society does not seem to embrace the “farm to table” concept but instead embraces the “box to table” concept. Try some new fruits and vegetables or reintroduce yourself to more common ones such as broccoli. You may laugh at that, but I know many people who haven’t had a fresh vegetable in years!
3. Add healthy grains. As you add healthy foods to your diet, look for healthy grains like oats, whole wheat flour, millet, buckwheat, wheat berries, brown rice, etc. Again, here is where our concept of adding comes into play. You add healthy grains and those soft breads and buns made from refined white flour that are spongy and fluffy begin to pale in comparison to hearty grains that are dense and full of nutrients.
4. Add activity. Although you certainly can lose weight without exercising, adding some aerobic, strengthening, and flexibility activities into your life only helps you feel better and look better as well. Adding activity was a huge step for me, because I used to spend as much time as possible sitting down.
5. Add stress-reducing behaviors. Emotions are a normal part of our lives, and stress can make us desire to overeat or make poor food choices. Add some stress-reducing behaviors to your life such as prayer, meditation, learning to say no, avoiding people who stress you out, learning time management skills, and focusing on the positive.
6. Add healthy proteins. You don’t have to eat meat to lose weight, nor do you have to avoid meat. But what you do need is healthy proteins. I learned to cook and love beans, stopped eating McDonald’s cheeseburgers, and discovered that I did like Greek yogurt after all!
7. Add time for you. It is so common for us to get so wrapped up in other people in our lives that we forget to add some time into our schedule just for us. Force yourself to do something for you each day. For me, I have carved out the early morning hours for myself. These hours allow me to read, write, and exercise before my day gets going. When things get crazy later on in the day I feel more relaxed than I did when I did not have time scheduled for myself.
What additions have you made to your life that help you with weight management? Diane
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Great post, Diane! I get so frustrated when I hear people talking about the diets that restrict one thing or another. You can’t live like that. A friend just told me about something called carbnite. You eat no more than 30 grams of carbs a day, but then one day a week, you eat all the carbs you want. Doesn’t make sense. Sometimes we have to remove things if it’s something we can’t handle. I gave up chips in all forms because, If I ate them, I ate more, then I ate them ALL!! On March 9, it will be two years since I’ve had chips. I know it helped me get back on track with my maintenance and has kept me on track. But chips aren’t a food group(although I sometimes acted like they are!) Balance and eating with health in mind is so much better. Thanks, Diane!
I love this post. So true! I’ve just passed a major milestone for my weight loss progress this week: I’m officially no longer obese!! And principles like these–substituting healthy habits–focusing on adding them in, have been key. thanks for the inspiration!
I thank the day that I found your blog! Your posts speak to me and make me reevaluate old habits and thought processes I have created over the past few years.
I may be a simpleton, but I truly believe that if most people made #7 a much greater priority, numbers 1-6 would fall into line with much less difficulty.
Well said!
The revolutionary thing I added to my weight management plan had little to do with food, but has been monumental in helping me maintain. It is simply adding the freedom to say “no” to people, places or events that have the potential to be a problem for me. This freedom is particularly applicable when a particular challenge comes from people who after all this time, should know better. It never involves drama (I hate drama and that includes drama surrounding mine or anyone else’s weight loss efforts) just a simple, “no, I’m not available at that time” or “no, that isn’t something I can do at that time.” No more explanation needed. The day I realized the power was mine and mine alone was the day maintaining my weight became much easier.
Great post. Sometimes when I think about all the food I CAN have in a day (thinking vegetables here) I’m kind of amazed.
I also added sleep, along with more veggies:)
More sleep, more veggies, and more activity work best for me! Great post! Deprivation has been what’s derailed every maintenance program of mine. I need to focus on what I can have and do, compared to what not. Glass half full, not half empty thinking.
SO-O-O true. I was a breakfast (and even lunch) skipper for years, filling up all evening long. Adding breakfast was an amazing breakthrough in my health! I’m sure it was the biggest single thing that I did in my journey towards 100-lb weight loss and I’m still eating it everyday.
Thanks Diane for this positive attitude – three cheers for adding on
Love this approach – add the good!
I think adding prayer and meditation to my diet plan has gotten me further than any other technique, in part because making time to quietly seek help and meditate gives the mind and body a boost that the run, run, run of every day life can never provide. I love the concept of adding in foods and behaviors that make it easier to change. Dieting is hard, but eating right is easier than you’d think. I just finished a meal of roasted veggies with a few ounces of skinless chicken covered with onion. So easy to do. Chunks of roaster parsnip taste like cinnamon laced candy, and the yams are yummy and sweet! Colorful and delicious, roasted veggies in the winter are a mainstay at our house now. Yum, yum, YUM!!!
Great post Dianne! I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot over the past two weeks– as I’ve really been trying to get myself to add more sleep into my new lifestyle! I know it’s so necessary, but it can be so difficult when it seems like there are a thousand other more important things on the “to do” list. I just have to keep reminding myself that sleep is important too!
I’ve added your Blog to my life in order to maintain motivation. Realizing that I’m not alone in this battle and that I have support from all of your followers as well as you (maintaining for 14 years how impressive)! Thank you for your perspective! Keep inspiring us, motivating us and educating us to lead healthier lives!
Thanks Diane for posting this and you are such a positive women it helps when I am feeling frustrated by my progress. What encourage post!
Addition factor makes so much sense to me…I usually apply it to my diet…if I was to maintain a list of things I should take away from my meals I would not have managed it for very long, instead I started adding healthy options like vegetables/soups to my meals this way I’m usually full before I can even think of anything unhealthy…my addition factor actually helped me take away unhealthy food from my meals..I should apply it to other things also..lets see how that goes…like you mentioned add sleep..add time for myself should be on my list
For a long time doctors thought my youngest had a major GI problem. We were given lists of foods she should avoid. Each time I asked for a list of things she could eat (in addition to what not to eat). This was a unique request according to the office staff. There are a lot of things I choose not to eat now. I don’t miss any of them as over time I figured out they all caused problems. I focus on my list of foods that I do eat. There are a lot of veggies in the world. I eat a lot of variety. And many of the things I choose not to eat are actually made up of the same list of processed ingredients. They are the same basic thing, just in different marketing forms.
While I took away some foods in my daily rotation I added more than I subtracted. Foods like Kale, sprouted bread, roasted veggies entered my life and probably forever!
Great tips for adding to our lives. I am struggling with adding time for myself right now. My kids and work take up 99.9% of my time and I’m needing some me time to find a balance. My “dream” me time: going to a gym. I know, not very exciting
It matters if it’s exiciting for you!
BTW, you can get great workouts at home, too!
Great tips! I need to keep my focus on what I’m adding to my life–rather than what I’m taking away.
Love this post Diane! Thanks for the psotivity. I always look forward to reading your updates!
Yes! No question that a positive approach to any situation will make it all so much easier for us apply our time and energy to the project.
I love your way of thinking. I love that you make us think about losing weight by adding things instead of taking away things. This is so cool. I will definitely preach this to others from now on. Thanks Dianne.
I like finding new whole foods, especially grains/seeds and such. Especially ones that promote digestive health (ie. high in fibre) and/or are a source of protein. I recently added probiotics (without yogurt) and on the weekend I added chia seeds. I also try to consistently try new fruits and vegetables for variety.
Sleep, yes, I do need to add more sleep, especially on the days I have swimming.
Thanks for emphasizing “adding” aspect of dieting in an environment that over emphasizes what you need to take away!
Well said and a rather great alternative perspective. Too often weight loss diets are framed by limits and denying one’s self things.
Great post Diane!
Great blog!
I have added the morning “me” time as well. I am not up to a few hours alone but about a half an hour and just easing into the day helps me not wake up resentful and needing a pot of coffee which leads to fatty creamer and dips in blood sugar which always leads to overeating. It is so simple yet it is making a huge improvement.
Well said. I heard a speaker at a conference last year that lost weight by hoola hooping (www.theresarose.com). Something that she said that has stayed with me is “Self Care”. That is my goal this year. For the last 2-1/2 years I’ve been working towards and Associates Degree (I’ve 52 years old!). So now, it’s time for me to take care of my health. And my husband and I are doing it together!
Great tips! Thanks for sharing.
GOD BLESS