Celebrate Green Blog

by Lynn

I’m one of 30 bloggers participating in the 12-week Go Green, Get Fit Challenge as part of the EcoMom Alliance Sustain YourSelf™ Program presented by PlanetShoes.com. Every Saturday I’ll be posting about progress toward my goals and other aspects of the challenge. This post marks the end of my first week.

The first step in reaching my goals has to do with maintaining my current food plan.

As of January I changed my eating habits to a SANE-er program based on Jonathan Bailor’s book, The Smarter Science of Slim.

Because the foods on this plan are not my favorites and none of my favorites are on the plan, you might think that it’s been difficult to maintain.

Actually, it’s just the opposite.

Once I get through the first two days of any plan and the foods I love are no longer on the menu, I’m fine for quite awhile.

I believe that success at losing weight (or at any other of a thousand things), is not about slavishly following someone else’s advice, no matter how inspiring. It’s about knowing ourselves, especially our drivers, triggers and our shortcomings.

• What do I need to do, say or think in order to “stick with the program?”

• What questions do I need to ask myself (or others) to ensure my success?

• What exactly leads me to “fall of the wagon?”

I’ve read dozens of books about losing weight. I’ve tried and succeeded dozens of times. For me, it’s not about hunger or emotions. It’s about what goes on in my head. That’s where the battle begins and ends.

In wanting to grow older in as healthy a state as possible (and a huge part of this is around weight), I realized that personally, there is only one way for me to look at food: as fuel for my body. Period. That’s it. I’m not a gourmet, requiring flavors that make my palate swoon. My emotions don’t need to be fed, nor do my addictions to sugar and carbs.

Most importantly: I don’t have to like what I’m eating in order to live a life of joy.

I’m choosing to look at eating as I do brushing my teeth—it’s a necessity, nothing more.

Does this choice sound shocking and extreme?

It’s not. Think about millions of people in the world who cannot afford the luxury of variety, who pay up to 80% of their income for food. What is food to them other a basic human need? And what about elite athletes who eat only what they believe will turn their bodies into performing machines? Do they refuse to eat something they don’t like when they know it will power them to victory?

I’m no athlete and neither am I (thankfully) forced to spend the greater part of my income for food.

I am simply choosing to have what I put in my mouth play a much more important, if less fulfilling role in my life than so many Americans do.

That thought is what makes eating more SANE-ly possible for me.

This week has been unremarkable in that way. Next, however will be a big challenge because I’m traveling and attending a family event where I’m sure to be entreated to eat, eat, eat and not doing so to the point of physical discomfort will inevitably cause bad feelings.

I’m curious about how I’m going to manage that.

Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.