more than just talking about it

WRAPPING MY HEAD AROUND MY NEW LIFESTYLE

We have all heard that you shouldn't go on a diet and that it's a lifestyle change. Yep, that's great. But we are all in such a hurry to lose the weight that we go to drastic measures to lose the weight. Most of the time, when our resolve weakens, so do we and we go back to our old habits. This is one of the main reasons that I am eating 1500-1800 calories and not 1200. I need to make a change in my life that I will stick with today and next week, next year and every year after that. I realize that I may have to adjust my calories in order to continue losing, but it will always be in a do-able range.

Today, while I was mulling over the fact that the efforts that I making today (measuring, counting, exercising) will be efforts that I will need to be making every day (in some form) of my life to maintain my weight once I lose all the excess. I was wishing that I could just be "normal" like everyone else and not need all this "effort" to be thin. I want to be one of those naturally thin people who forgets to eat, loves veggies and isn't all that fond of desserts. Then I started thinking about the people I know. There are only a few people I know that are like me who have over 200 lbs to lose. The people I know fall into 2 main groups, those who are pretty normal, but have 40-60 lbs to lose and heavier people who have 100-120 lbs to lose. I can only think of 2 people (maybe 3) that are naturally very thin, forget to eat and can leave an open bag of M&M's on their desk for weeks at a time. These women are NOT the majority. The majority have work to do and should be measuring, counting and exercising to be healthy and lean. It's just like wealth. Sure there are a couple people I know who have all the money in the world and don't have to work and get to do whatever they want, but the majority of people I know have to get up every day and work to have any kind of life. I don't sit around and think poor me, I have to work. I just know that if I want a decent life I have to work for it. Why is my health so different? Why do I sit around and think that I am so unlucky that I have to work hard for health and fitness? I need to wake up and realize that most people do! If they are heavy they should be working harder. Just because they didn't let it get as bad as I did, doesn't mean there isn't work to do. And someone who is very fit is probably working for it! Maybe it comes more natural to them, and that's life.

I am rambling...I guess my point is that I am embracing the changes that I am making and not feeling like they are a burden and not feeling like poor me. Maybe I even feel like I am lucky that I have figured out what it is going to take to get and stay healthy and I am peace with it.