It has been a busy week! With finals, hubby’s birthday, holiday parties, and graduation—we’ve had a lot going on. It has been fun!
I gave myself permission to relax my eating a bit during all of the celebrations. I mean, who wants to be worrying about food instead of just enjoying the moments? I don’t feel like I did terribly, but I definitely wasn’t eating like I’m trying to lose weight either!
And then the inevitable thoughts of failure started to strike. “Ugh, I really blew it this time” or “I sure fell off the wagon” or “Well, I’ve eaten this terribly, I might as well have some cookies.” On and on. You know the drill.
But then I stopped myself.
I’ve been following this healthier lifestyle for about three years now. THREE YEARS! That’s an accomplishment. And granting myself permission to eat with my family and enjoy the moments, celebrate the things worth celebrating, is not failing. It is part of having a healthy relationship with food. Food is such a huge part of our social lives. It’s cultural and there are countless traditions involving food. Was the food the most important part of these celebrations? Absolutely not. But we all enjoyed a few delicious meals together, talking, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company.
So I had the revelation, but then came the next part. Not every day is a celebration. So it’s about getting back on track and not continuing to eat like I’m celebrating the next day or the next meal. And I’m struggling a bit with that. But I don’t like how I feel when I eat like I'm celebrating all of the time. My body is telling me, “Eat some vegetables!”, “Drink that water!”, “WORK OUT!”.
My body knows what it wants and needs. Now I just need to listen to it!
It has a struggle for me to come to terms with the fact that there will be no “falling off the wagon”. It’s not going to be a part of my vocabulary anymore. Enjoying food is not falling off the wagon. It is part of a healthy life. Some days I will be celebrating life’s achievements and deliciously rich foods might be a part of that. But those types of celebrations are few and far between. And they should be enjoyed and treasured. But more often, I will be celebrating health and life…EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
Every day is a celebration of another day to live. And I’m going to live most days like I am celebrating good health and happiness by eating fresh and nutritious foods, drinking lots of water and working out. And then I'll be around to see those big, life celebrations and be there to celebrate them with my loved ones.
In the long run, life’s celebrations will be just little blips on the healthy living journey. What matters most is all of the days in between. It cannot be all or nothing. That never works. Finding the balance will ensure a happy and healthy lifestyle—guilt free.