Eating to Live

I love to eat. With all of the things going on in my life, food is one of those things that never fails to invoke a "happy place"; a calm feeling of enjoyment with every savory morsel. It's one of the reasons I love to cook. It's one of the reasons I love to entertain. Unfortunately, it's also one of the reasons that I'm over weight.

With so many yummy foods out there, what's a girl to do?

Rule # 1 that I've had to learn throughout my "getting healthy" journey is:

We eat to live, we don't live to eat

A year ago...I lived to eat. Oh, it's true. I thought about food ALL DAY...when was my next meal, what dessert could I make that night, what did I have at hand to snack on. But, when I set my mind to attain my goal of becoming healthy (and thin-er), I quickly came to the realization that the first thing I had to change was the way I viewed food. I didn't want to sacrifice my love for food...my love of eating. I had to re-train my brain to see food as a necessity, not an activity. Eating only when hungry was a difficult change, but adding "healthy" in there made it more of a challenge for me. The "challenge" was strictly psychological, because somehow I had it in my mind that HEALTHY was synonymous with BLAND and BORING. Silly, silly girl!

What I actually learned by adding HEALTHY to my diet, was that not only was the food FAR from bland or boring, it was a whole new world...colorful and fresh, endless with possibilities for enjoyment. I felt so cheated because I had for years chosen to ignore this side of food. I grew a whole new love & appreciation for cooking, experimenting with new foods I had never even heard of, trying fish for the first time (and LOVING it). I learned that by eating healthy, I could actually eat more. I found that I could substitute ingredients for unprocessed healthy alternatives, and NO ONE noticed! I felt better in every way, physically energized with my new found fuel to function, and mentally at peace in knowing that I was making better choices.

Today, when I'm hungry and feel like I need a little "crunch" in between meals, I no longer grab a bag of chips or box of crackers, I grab baby carrots, a cucumber, or fresh crisp grapes, and sometimes toasted almonds if I'm craving a little salt. When I need something sweet and creamy, I enjoy an ice cold yogurt rather than ice cream. For dinner, I load up on broccoli rather than mashed potatoes or tater tots. I enjoy every bite, from the first to the last, knowing that these small changes, these LIFE choices, are far more beneficial and enjoyable than the way life used to be.

I *still* love to eat. The only difference today vs. a year ago in my love, is that now my LOVE of food has transitioned from a hobby to an appreciation of nutrition. I no longer live to eat...I eat to live. I see food as fuel for this amazing machine we call a body, and am loving the results of the choice I made to stop filling it up with garbage.

I hope I've inspired you to give it a try. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Until Tomorrow!

Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an AWESOME and inspired weekend!

©Fit~NOW~Girl©