"There is a difference between giving up and knowing when you've had enough."
I've had blogger sitting open on my laptop most of the day knowing there was blog post inside of me that I wanted to write, but not knowing where to begin. Then I saw the above quote on Pinterest tonight and suddenly the words began to flow.
I started this blog a little over three years ago and the entire time my focus has been on weight loss. I talked about health and exercise often, but let's be honest. From day one my objective has been to be a smaller person, to take up less space.
Throughout these three years I've watched my weight bounce up and down several times. Each time it bounced back up I would vow to "get back on the wagon" and this time I'd make it stick. The whole time convincing myself I wasn't dieting. I was changing my lifestyle. Funny, though how every time life threw curveballs at me, the lifestyle change didn't stick. When things got tough, all bets were off. Doesn't sound like much of a lifestyle change does it?
At what point in time did our society decide that if you weren't on a diet you were clearly a glutton and must be bingeing all day long? Why does there need to be a wagon upon which we need to climb? Why do we have to label everything? Why have we, as a society, become so afraid of being entrusted with making our own choices?
I remember when my oldest son was a baby and we were entertaining guests for dinner. This couple had a toddler and she was being picky about what I was serving. The other mom looked at me said "worry about your child's nutrition over the course of the week, not on a daily basis. Otherwise you'll drive yourself insane." That made so much sense to me and I've clung to those words, as they pertain to my children, for over a decade. Why, then, could I not apply them to myself? Why could I see moderation as the best course for my kids, but needed black & white rules for myself?
I called 'uncle'. I didn't give up. I'm declared enough. I eat dairy. I eat gluten. I eat meat. I eat fat. I eat vegetables. I eat fruit. I eat ice cream. I eat rice. I move my body. I lift weights. I go for walks. I run with my children. I do it all. I eat it all. These are habits I can sustain for my entire life. There are no rules. There is joy. There is happiness. There is health.
