My most un-original New Year's resolution for 2019 was to lose weight, but I went about it differently than before: I'm trying to diet without food shame.
Previously, I would essentially make a list of "can-haves" and a list of "never-haves." A black and white reality of things that were bad (chocolate, beer, bread...anything containing gluten or sugar, really) and things that were good (veggies and meat). One day a week, I could binge on the forbidden items without consequence.
I lost plenty of weight—but also friends and the patience of my wife. And once I broke the rules enough times, the guilt for doing so convinced me I was a bad person doomed to be on the chubby side.
Guilt for violating these rules of the road was only powerful as a motivator to a point, but as we re-visit in this weekend's show, guilt doesn't always have a purpose in modern life. Guilt doesn't have a built-in mechanism for redemption, for example—you feel bad but does that actually push you to become better? Not always.
Instead, we ought accept our choices for what they are—our own. No guilt, just the knowledge that choosing to eat a bag of M&Ms means less calories in your budget for Friday night out. Without guilt, you always have the chance to turn the corner and choose to be better the next time.
—Mark