Suddenly, there was that one saner thought that yelled, "Um...just because you can't exercise the way you want to doesn't mean you're doomed. How about writing about what you can do until you feel well enough to take on exercise?" Huh, what a novel idea--writing about what you can do rather than complain about what you can't. Thanks rational part of my brain. I'm very grateful when you speak up and I'm going to listen to you. So, what can I do to help me with my goal of losing weight right now?
First off, allow me to remind myself that this is not some temporary goal that one might do for lent. I'm not trying to give up chocolate for forty days, I'm trying to eat better overall. Losing weight can't be about quick changes or fad diets. It needs to be a full on life change that will continue for years and not one that will stop once my goal is achieved. It's not an all or nothing thing. I'll admit I've approached this the way democrats and republicans approach welfare--have or don't have it. Truth of the matter is like welfare, that my current lifestyle is broken. I can't just stop living but at the same time I can't continue living like this. So why not follow what I always say when listening to the welfare debate: can we stop debating why we should or shouldn't have it and actually look at how to fix it?
Of course, this leads to the question: What changes can I make to my current lifestyle that will better my overall health? Obviously, getting up and exercising a bit more is necessary and I can add that into my life relatively easily. However, my biggest problem isn't with exercising but with food. Yes, like countless Americans, I too have issues with eating. For me, it's not that I feel addicted to food but I am addicted to convenience. For all intents and purposes, I abhor preparing and cooking my food. Following recipes seems like such a chore to me so I eat whatever might be lying around that requires little preparation. This almost always ends up being some type of processed food.
Really, I need to change my outlook on food. For me, I have a very unhealthy perspective of food. The only reason I even think out it at all is the simple fact that I can't live without it. But even then, I only think about the quickest, easiest way to satiate myself. So the first thing I need to do is change my attitude. I need to learn to love food and appreciate what I am eating. I feel like if I make that shift then I might hold the food I eat to higher standards and therefore might not be satisfied which a microwavable dinner. Even I have to admit, even though I found our food stops in Paris a bit excessive I got to know first hand how much one can actually enjoy the food they eat. Seriously, I was on the brink of healthy living when I was in Paris: I had to walk everywhere and thanks to Lauren I was always eating something. I need to incorporate that into my life some way.
I need to start small. Maybe find some reading material on food and not the "hey read this and lose weight kind of material" but more of a "Hey, I love food. Food is awesome. It's not something to avoid or battle but to eat and enjoy. Read this and fall in love with food." Normally I don't ask for my readers to comment, but I know that many of you have fabulous research resources... does something like that exist out there? If not, I think that's going to have to be a brand new project for me. Actually either way this is going to be a new project for me. Just like that I've been inspired! All I needed was a half hour of mindless rambling. I'm going to stop writing now and start researching. Anything you guys can find will be hugely helpful; please pass it along!
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