Stop the craziness!

When I decided to stop writing down every morsel of food that passed my lips and to just eat healthy, I felt as if the chain I have carried around with me for decades broke.

Journaling what I ate was making me think about food. All the time. It was the one constant in my life that never changed. And I hated it. I also blame it on my yo-yoing the past three decades.

In addition to making better food choices, I am also exercising. But here's another difference: Instead of looking at exercise as a way to lose weight, I view it as a way to keep me healthy.

When I was going to Weight Watchers, I never counted the exercise I was doing. You can, but then you get to eat more, which to me always seemed counter-productive when I was trying to shed pounds. If you are at the weight you want to be, that is a different story. Then, you can exercise away an ice cream sundae. Exercise for me is attacking the fat I have gained over the years.

I feel so much more in control. In most cases, I am making great food choices, filling up on greens and fruits. And when I allow myself a treat, I really am first asking myself if it is worth the calories. If the answer is yes, I eat it, and don't beat myself up.

This is not a quick fix. But then I didn't gain weight overnight. I am giving myself a year to get in shape. I look at it this way: I can be where I want to be weight wise this time next year, or I can continue to eat and stay where I am. The former seems so much more attractive.

And I have finally stopped the nonsense.