The Key To Success

Over the weekend, the hubby and I were taking turns about “if I could go back, I would do __________ differently”. Both of us were in agreement that we would take our knowledge (wisdom if you will) and apply it to our young-selves~ those teenage years. The main thing that we both agreed on was that we would workout and have been in shape. Of course, for different reasons… you all know what teenage boys are thinking

I began with~ If I could go back, I would have gone into Speech Pathology for my career. Then, I would have joined a group dance activity to stay active in HS. Of course, this stems from my love of Jazzercise and I don’t know that I really could’ve joined any dance troop in Malvern because of the nature of the town but the idea of dancing and being active as a way to get my exercise is something that I can dream about now.

This whole dream of “what if” and going back in time got me to thinking again about how I became overweight in the first place. The main key to successful weight management is knowing why you struggle with weight in the first place. I used food as a friend… it kept me company and was an emotional crutch. This is something that I think most women learn from each other and depend on… at least in America. We get together to bond over eating, we have parties and the main focus is what will we serve, baby & wedding showers are primarily about the gifts for the honoree but what about the guests? It’s really not that much fun watching someone else open a room full of gifts so we better throw some food in there. It’s not all bad, that’s not my point…It is just reality. How many of you have been at a get together to go hiking? To the dog park (if you have a dog)? To play board games? Anything that didn’t involve sitting around a table and visiting over food? I can’t list 1.

Anyway, that’s my personal fight with food. When I get bored, I don’t want broccoli… When I get upset, I don’t want a baked chicken breast. I want Hot Wings and Chocolate Cake (with extra frosting).

There is good news though. I recognize the triggers now and I have defenses up that help me make it through. Of course, sometimes things turn out better than others. I exercise regularly and stay away from foods that are high in trans fats (processed foods)  which help keep my body in balance mentally and physically. Those chemicals in the brain that are released during exercise have never made me feel as good as a fudgy brownie but they do relieve stress and keep me from wanting that brownie so badly. The longer I go without have a blood sugar spike from high sugar/carbohydrate foods, the less I remember what that feels like so I don’t crave it. That sugar high really can be addictive…that’s what is so comforting when you are eating it. At least for me. But that craving does subside some the less frequently I give in and other, healthier foods taste better.  Although it doesn’t discount the urge to stop by the bottomless chocolate candy bowl at the desk of the lady right outside of my office.

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