Avoiding diets through moderation

I've never been a big fan of dieting because, well, I just love food too much to deprive myself of it.

But, being a diabetic, I do have to limit how much of my favorite foods I consume.

What gets me though, is the inconsistencies on food and drink levels.

Have you taken a look at your cans and bottles of soda lately?

On a can of soda, it says the serving size is 1 can (12 ounces), yet on a 20-ounce bottle it says it is 8 ounces.

Now if you are on a diet, is counting a can of soda as one of your servings rather than measuring out the recommended 8 ounces from a bottle considered "cheating," so can you skirt by on the technicality?

Personally, I don't think it makes a difference whether you drink a can or a full bottle of pop, as long as it is done in moderation.

There are days I will drink three or four sodas in a day, but it is usually followed by a couple of days drinking nothing but water, and I mean a lot of water.

I tend to drink more water than the average person. In part it is out of habit after spending sunup to sundown playing basketball during the hot Texas summers.

Currently, I have a 64-ounce jug I purchased from Speedway some months ago that I fill at least five to six times a day with water, so needless to say, I am able to flush out any junk I eat.

I am not a proponent of diets because many of them require you to go without some vital key to an overall balance of health. Some say to avoid carbohydrates and others tell you to avoid eating proteins, both of which are vital to maintaining the body's metabolism which, guess what, helps to lose weight.

I believe diets are all subjective and not efficient across the board for everyone.

All it takes is a keen sense of self, and my suggestion is if you pig out on something or drink many sodas or other unhealthy beverages one day, cut back on them the next few days to balance things out.

Many foods are just too delicious to go too long without.