Thoughts on Diets and Healthy Lifestyle Choices

I’ve probably thought more about weight this year than ever before. It would seem that several aspects of working on a cookbook have played a major role in this mind game. Maybe that's all it is, a mind game, but I have become more aware of a certain bulge as I sit here and key in the recipes. Eating waffles with vanilla custard for breakfast and then again for lunch, because the first pictures did not turn out to my satisfaction, was just one of those things you do for the cause.

In reality it's not just the cookbook, but a number of things that have kept me from serious dieting. When I think about it, there just never is a good time to diet and there will always be an excuse to be gaining weight. Just when the freshman 20 are gone, the babies start coming every few years. Some busy active years in-between may help, but soon you’re where I am now . . . where they say, “Well, you’re at that age.”

I have observed the obsession on diets to the point where girls do not know when to stop. I just look on with sadness and my heart breaks for them. Fashion magazines display undernourished models and almost every magazine at the grocery check stand screams out some form of diet. And now, even I am writing about it! This is because I often don’t see good results in any of this.

So I’ve thrown dieting out the window. I’ve never really said it, but I think dieting is a trap that, for most of us, only gives temporary results and much frustration. Believing this, I have to practice what I preach and share what may be a long-term alternative.

Now I want to be careful. I do not want to be flippant, nor assume that this is easy for everyone. I’m talking very generally, because I don’t want to take other health concerns or genetics for granted. However, in general, I think we can all agree that healthy eating and exercise are the best way to get into shape and keep in shape. It’s kind of freeing.

Being in shape is different for everyone. It’s about knowing your body, learning to enjoy the right foods and routines for you – and being content. It is better to maintain a happy medium than to continually go up and down. I have seen that two people of the same height can be 20 lbs apart and both be at their ideal weight.

So what could healthy eating and exercise look like? I perused through an article a while back that had some thoughts that made me say, “Yes, that works.” So, before this gets too long, I think in my next post I will share some practical ideas on this subject.