Fear Your Favorite Foods and Fail

There are foods I refuse to measure or give up: -guacamole/avocados

-sour cream

-pizza

-macaroni and cheese

-ice cream

-potatoes

-tacos

-burritos

-cold cereal and milk

-cake

-wine

-beer

I will eat them, I will enjoy them.

Forever.

When I am counseling someone on their nutrition or getting them started on a fitness program, the #1 question I get is "Will I still be able to eat <insert favorite fat habit food> ???" My answer is unequivocally "YES."

If your fit future depends on giving up your favorites or looking up really stupid "alternative" recipes on Pinterest, guess what? It isn't going to work for long. And by "long", I mean LIFE.

This shit doesn't end once you get into that pair of skinny jeans, win that weight loss pool at work or that diet bet, and I don't know about YOU, but mashed cauliflower will never replace a pan of real, rich and starchy mashed potatoes. While I'm at it, Cavemen didn't bake brownies and Tofu Pepperoni? Give me a fucking break. It's true. I enjoy all of my favorites without regard to calories or measuring AND I have maintained an 80 lbs weight loss and continue to improve my health and fitness. How can that be? Because while I refuse to weigh and measure my favorites, most of them do not hold residence in my pantry. They are not staples on my shopping list. I don't ever "run out" of them and scramble to pick it up on my way home. My favorites happen once a month when I go out with my girlfriends for Mexican food and drinks. Or when my sons find time in their very busy schedules from work and school and bring pizza and a six pack. I eat birthday cake, but never feel compelled to eat EVERYONE'S birthday cake. I enjoy food...a lot....but the things I refuse to measure and enjoy with abandon? Those things cannot be within arms length everyday because they aren't conducive to my fitness goals OR my general health. I'm no saint. This didn't happen overnight.

What DID happen overnight was the realization that my food choices played THE BIGGEST ROLE in my health. You don't get to be 100 lbs overweight by making good choices. You cannot lose 100 lbs and improve your health by continuing to choose the foods that got you there. Moderation? Only if you want to moderately improve. But if you want real change, you need to CHANGE, and stick with it for a minute....not just until your hubby wants pizza or your kids want ice cream. There are things you are going to have to limit until you get a handle on your health and weight. Once you realize how much YOU control, you will feel empowered to eat what you want when you want....and believe it or not, that will change, too. So today is Day 11 of the fit test group. The night before last was ROUGH. I had a mentally exhausting day and it took my support group t remind me of my goals so I wouldn't drown myself in white wine. No lie. I was throwing a tantrum and they talked me off the Chardonnay ledge. Today I feel great and I am so grateful to the group and to MYSELF for not falling into that temptation. It's not the LAST glass of wine I will ever see, and I made a commitment to this test group. And myself :-) 79 days to go........