Taking a Break from Chewing the Fat

I made a big move yesterday on my way into work. I shared it with the audience at the top of yesterday's show.

I am going to lose weight. There. It was said and now it is WRITTEN as well.

It occurred to me that I have been making bad dietary decisions lately. Too much junk food, mainly. A cheeseburger here, onion rings there. Thousands of extra and empty calories each and every week. I guess I just realized that the kids can burn off chicken nuggets better than I can. They make it look easy.

Diets can be scary and that is why they rarely work. I am not on a diet. I am merely being more conscious of what I put in my mouth.

Yesterday I determined to take things one day at a time. And I did it, right to the end. A Slim Fast for breakfast, a V-Juice for lunch, a nice healthy sandwich for dinner. Nothing deep fried or fatty. And I felt better because of it, physically and mentally.

And that is what people need to remember--tackling foods isn't just a physical battle. Much of the struggle is in your mind. How many of us give into that temptation of bailing off of freeway exits whenever we see our favorite fast food signs? A lot of us. Maybe most of us. How many of us eat just because we open the fridge and see something good? Ever stop yourself in the middle of eating and ask yourself WHY AM I EATING THIS? I'M NOT EVEN HUNGRY??

It won't be easy. I am determined to exercise more, too. Most of us just don't move as much as we could or should. I made an extra effort to NOT park right in front of the stores yesterday. I MADE myself walk 20 parking spaces instead of 20 feet. Take the stairs for once, even if it's just one-way. Walk around the block. Take family and friends with you. Make it fun and something to look forward to. These are simple things we all can do.

One of the most fascinating things to me about dieting is the thought that if given the choice between something healthy for us or bad for us, human nature tends to push us in the direction of temptation. But why? Because that burger is just DRIPPING with yumminess.

But how many of us would go down a dark alley instead of a well lit street? Or drink dirty water as opposed to clean water? How many of us go out of our way to do something that could bring us harm?

Then why do we not even THINK half the time when it comes to the fuel we put in our bodies? We as a society seem more concerned with what grade of fuel we put in our car than what grade of food we put into our bodies.

I have always been this way. But at least for a day, I attempted to change that.

And I will try again today. And tomorrow. The key is taking it one day at a time. Don't put too many pressures on yourself. No one is perfect. If you think you can't resist the french fries, try to at least resist the larger sizes. At the start, you could eat some of the same foods but just in smaller portions. Maybe next time you'll go for the apple slices instead.

Wish me luck. This will take more willpower than I have, I think. But once the pounds start coming off, that might be all I need to kiss those extra pounds goodbye for good.

Feel free to keep on top of me with this, OK? E-mail me your own tips and inspiring stories. I would love to hear them.