Lifestyle choices, not Resolutions

The Healthy Eating Pyramid, from the Harvard School of Public Health (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have never been one to make New Years Resolutions. Those are things that usually last a month or so until you give up in resignation or disgust. It could be possible that the resolutions are just too strict. No one can lose 100 lbs. in months even if we wanted to. It might be easier to stop smoking, but I doubt it. Making small changes, or small compromises, or small life choices can perhaps reap better results.

I have fought my weight my entire life. It is actually quite interesting, since I was a premature baby. But, I was a chubby child, and a chubby adolescent and an obese adult. I have been obese my whole life.  It has made me live “on the outside looking in” my entire life. I have never felt “normal” or like everyone else in the world. I was made fun of my entire childhood into my early married years. All that aside, what we lived through as children always colors what we become as adults.

I grew up an introvert and was never comfortable in crowds. I was the typical wall flower, always watching, always trying to figure out what made me different from everyone else. Even when I got married, I was always studying my husband, wondering what he saw in me that made him value me or love me. Later in life, I finished college, and gained personal affirmation as a singer. I thought it was my only talent. After at least 20 years decorating cakes, I wondered when a job had turned into a career. Age itself, faith in God, and a prayer life all helped to make me comfortable with who I was despite not being what society had taught me was beautiful.

Now, back to the weight issue. I have tried a surgical stomach stapling, Weight Watchers, Doctors Clinic, protein drinks, and Nutrisystem. All diets work for a while with different results. But all, get tiresome after you use them for a lengthy time period and then they become unbearable. My method that worked the best was always “all or nothing”. That meant never eating my “bad” foods, like cookies, candy or chips. Other foods that could become “bad” foods were breads. So, cut out all sweets and all breads out of your diet, and see how long you will want to continue.

It is better to make better choices, to live in moderation. Stay away from the”bad” things you cannot control, until you learn that they no longer have a hold on you. Then, perhaps you can have them once in a while. I have learned to substitute chocolate with more healthy alternatives that gives me the taste but not the craving. I gave up cookies, pies and other sweets for about 5 years. Once you are no longer addicted to them, you can handle them periodically. Do I still have problems? Am I still overweight? Yes. I have learned to maintain and to resist bingeing, which is a success in itself. But I now need to lose some more weight to help my physical problems improve. So, it is all about choices.

I follow a strict regimen during the day and eat what I want, within reason, at night. That has kept me at the same weight for the past 3-4 years. But, a period of family struggle and prolonged worry caused me to begin to overeat once again. Not bingeing, but adding more snacks here, or eating midnight meals there until I gained about 35 lbs. I didn’t need to gain. Now, I need to lose that plus about 70 lbs. more. I am trying to make better choices. No after supper snacks every night, no midnight meals. My problem is I love food. I struggle with eating extra helpings. Hubby helps me by giving me smaller helpings. Also, eating a lot of green vegetables helps to get full quicker, preventing me from adding the extra helpings. Am I going to be able to do this? I have proven over and over in my 63 years, that I don’t have much control over eating. So, if I want to succeed, I need to be determined it is necessary to give up some of what I enjoy, and need to depend more strongly on prayer for strength.

So, for one who never makes resolutions because they never last, I am going to resolve to make better choices. I will always look for better alternatives that will help me in the long run. It might take a long time, but it should be more successful than a strict, unsatisfying and restrictive diet. Better choices I can live with. I just need to increase my dependency on prayer and guidance from God and pump up my resolve. If you are a praying person, you can help me by praying. If you don’t believe in that, wish me luck. Happy New Year!

Related articles

• The Best Resolution (foodworksblog.wordpress.com)
• Consumer Reports rates top diet plans (newsnet5.com)
• 2013 and Diet Plans – New Trends to Consider When Making Your Resolutions (betterbodyjournal.com)
• New Year’s Diet Resolutions: Here’s Why They’re A Bad Idea (huffingtonpost.com)
• Are New Year’s Resolutions Worth It? (medhealthwriter.blogspot.com)
• 5 Reasons Why New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work (transformationalchoices.wordpress.com)