I‘ve been here before and I’ll be here again. I’m trying a new diet. This time I’m giving The Dash Diet by Marla Heller, MS, RD a try. Why a diet, you ask? And why not the last diet I blogged about, The Dukan Diet, from which I had some success? Well, let me begin with the latter. While I achieved my goal with The Dukan Diet, I didn’t find the combination of foods to be appetizing. So my brain immediately turned against the idea of doing it again.

But why a diet at all? Typically, my philosophy is to eat healthy foods in moderation and exercise. Let’s face facts, things change. By things, I mean waistlines and numbers on the scale.

My Big Mistake

Allow me to share my biggest mistake which brought me to The Dash Diet. I was struggling to see movement on the scale despite bouts of good eating and solid exercise. I was frustrated and bought into the fact that women “my age” (let’s just leave it at that) experience a harder time losing weight. To that I said, “screw it” and did away with my regular weigh-ins.

There began my problem. Months after my scale boycott, I felt uncomfortable. Winter weight perhaps? My jeans were tight and I didn’t like how I looked. I dared step back on the scale and was shocked. I had reached a high that was flat out unacceptable.

Structure

I had to do something and needed a structured plan to turn things around. Without something to follow, I simply leave too much to chance and thoughtlessly overindulge.

On the recommendation from a friend, who looked amazing after having spent three months on The Dash Diet, I decided to get serious and give it a try too.

I’m about one month in and so far so good. Things are moving in the right direction, albeit slowly.

Why I like The Dash Diet

First, it originated as a plan to reduce high blood pressure. While I do not suffer from high blood pressure, it runs in my family and I have a very strong reaction to high levels of sodium. The reduced sodium in this diet does me a lot of good.

Second, I like the food on The Dash Diet. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a diet and the options are limited, but what the meal plans suggest, I like. Certain kinds of cheeses are allowed, nuts and eggs are go-tos and one of the lunch options is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sold! This was my kind of diet.

Sugar, of course, is not a friend on The Dash Diet. Is it ever? But the way the food is rationed throughout the day, I find my blood sugar is so stable that my sugar highs and lows have disappeared. My constant hunger and need to snack has subsided – all the while I feel satisfied.

Control

While I’m still working to undo the damage of my winter hibernation, I’m most happy that The Dash Diet has given me a semblance of control again. I no longer feel wildly ravenous and have been able to make smart decisions when it comes to what I’m consuming.

Like with any diet, this one is not for everyone but summer’s coming so I thought I’d share.