Food is fuel. You all know this but if you do not, here is your notice: Food is fuel. Most people, myself included, look at food as an activity; used to bring people to a meeting or a social gathering, also to win people over. Have you ever heard the old saying, "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach?" Food is always going to be apart of our life but it is time we start looking at in the right light.
For me, food is my number one source of abuse on my body! I love my sleep. I love to workout (most of the time). And boy do I LOVE food. But not in the way you should love food. Every Sunday afternoon starts with a box of Pasta Roni White Shells and Cheddar. MMM. Mmm. mmm. I have a very unhealthy way of looking at food. It should include only foods that I want to eat not the foods I should be eating. It is rare you will find me excited to have a salad or let alone anything green. This is because I rarely eat these foods. Now, I do love the feeling I get after I have given my body the green/healthy foods but gosh, I love the way the bad food tastes!! As do most of us.
Therefore, it is time I change the way I look at food. Food is a fuel. At this stage in my journey with food, I have to keep this mindset only. If I stray from this, I already find myself wanting that donut (which I had yesterday). I am writing this today to make a public profession that I am changing the way I look at food. Those cafeteria theme days, birthday outings, holidays, meetings will no longer have control over my thoughts. Yes, I know I will indulge every once in a while but my mission over the next year is to change my thought about why I am indulging.
How am I going to do this? My first attempt at changing my mindset is by making food that would normally already be on my list of things I want to eat and in turn I will make it a healthy version. i.e. Tonight we are having Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats. I love a good fatty meatball. So instead I am making a lean ground turkey with Italian seasoning, peppers, mushrooms and onions mixture and stuffing it into a zucchini squash; low carb, high protein, and minimal fat.
Staying on track is really hard for me because of so many temptations, mainly at work. So meal prepping is also very important. Having healthy food ready and available is a huge factor in keeping me away from that dessert cabinet in the cafeteria at work. On the days healthy food is not readily available, I immediately find myself making excuses for my indulgences.
This is not a battle you should fight alone. There is a reason the obesity in america is 69%. There is also a reason why if you have ever watched a major weight loss show, the contestants are taken away from their normal lives and basically put into rehab for food. It is not an easy journey. And yes, I know I have written this same post about a hundred and one times but everyone falls off, starts over, and needs help along the way. So I am hoping this can pull your focus back in and help you start over.
How have you changed your mind about food? What did you do to make food fuel and not just an activity? Do you still struggle? What do you do to get back on the wagon?
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