Losing Weight Vs. Eating Right

Since the new year is fully underway now, I’m excited to really succeed with my resolutions.  I have five – if you missed them, they are here. 

One, the most important one, is exercise and eating right.  I told my daughter about it and she scoffed.  Not in an unkind way, mind you, but in a been there, done that sort of way.

Mom – you know you’re going to eat next to nothing, lose weight, get tired of it and give up.  You do this all the time.  You’ll say you want to lose weight, then you’ll realize you like eating better and since it doesn’t really matter, you’ll stop.

I’d be grumpy if she wasn’t right.  I lose weight, and then I realize that I like food so much better than the idea of skinny jeans.  Ha!

Okay, you say, so what’s different this time.  Well…  I have a real goal that isn’t on a scale.  It is around my waist, but it’s not fat, it’s a black belt.  So.  That’s different. 

The second thing – it’s not about losing weight this time.  I just need to eat healthier.  While I may get on the scale from time to time, it’s about eating in a way that enables my body to produce energy and muscle and be more successful at exercise.  There's no reason that I should be working out five days a week and still carrying around extra weight other than the fact I'm putting more in my mouth than into my exercising.

I’m liking the mindset.  There isn’t anything off limits – I just know that I need to make good choices.  Every meal, I ask myself, what is a good choice and what isn’t?  Is it worth it to splurge?  Not because I’ll gain weight, but because I won’t feel good when I need to exercise later.  Worth it - so delicious and rare I can't pass it up.  Not worth it - well, I kinda like that and it's here. 

I’m hoping, given I’m a whopping seven days in, that this new mindset will be the road to success.  I want to be healthy.  I’ll never be a supermodel, and I have no aspirations to wear a bikini, but I’d like to be have higher roundhouse kicks, more energy and a lot more stamina!

How about you – what is your path to success when it comes to being healthy?