Debunking a Dumb Diet Doubt

Okay, so I’ve basically been on a diet pretty much since I was eight, right? I know my weight loss tips and tricks. They haven’t done me much good, but I know them.

Drink 8 glass of water a day. Get at least five serving of fruit and veggies. Plenty of exercise. Yada, yada, yada.

Well, I decided that this year I wanted to try something NEW. I want to ACTUALLY follow a diet tip and try to eat at least one cup of leafy greens i.e. salad at least once a day.

That’s not such a big deal you might say.

Well, it wouldn’t be if I didn’t really, really (I can’t overstate this enough) really HATE salad. To me, eating salad is the equivalent of chewing moist cardboard.

I like certain vegetables – peas, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and cucumbers – but greens, such as salad are just-oh-so disgusting to me.

BUT, the doctors say that leafy green are HUGE in helping with managing diabetes (which I have) and heart disease (which I’m greatly predisposed to), so I’m going to try it.

Now, as a Christian, I know that my times are in God’s hands. Trying to be healthy is just taking care of the temple of the Holy Spirit, not trying to lengthen my life. God knows how many years I have and nothing I can do will change that. It’s just my responsibility to take care of this body while it’s on loan to me. P.S. – Haven’t done such a great job so far.

Back to the (yuck) salad, the other thing – the diet tip I doubted the most – is that eating a cup of leafy greens will “fill you up” faster and that you won’t eat as much or get hungry so fast afterwards.

Bunch of “broccoli” if you ask me.

So, anyway (yuck – just thinking about broccoli made me gag a little), today was my first try. I squished down an “Herb Salad” from Logli’s into a one cup serving for my work lunch. To make it more palatable, I added one cup of grape tomatoes – a veggie I actually like - and grabbed one of those new 0 calorie Salad Spritzers (Italian flavor).

I also took along one bag of carrot chips and a cup of salsa to dip them in. I learned that trick a long time ago, and since I’m not a big “salty chip” fan, the carrot chips + salsa for dipping really works well for me.

When lunchtime rolled around, I forced myself to eat the salad. It was nasty. I was reminded WHY I hate salad so much. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. But I did it! And I ate the carrots and salsa in between bites to make it more bearable.

Then, much, much to my surprise – I was barely hungry for my “real” food of a sandwich and regular lunch food. I ate my sandwich, but I really wasn’t hungry for any more food.

So, it was true after all. Eating a cup of leafy greens actually DOES fill you up. Even if it is disgusting.

And I wasn’t hungry afterwards for a long time, so I guess that’s true, too.

It’s kind of too bad. I was hoping that it wouldn’t be true, so I wouldn’t have to eat any more nasty salad.

But, it’s my New Year’s semi-resolution, so I’m going to try to stick with it.

Even if it is a load of “broccoli.”