Time for Exercise

I’ve had a goal for a long time of never dieting. I’d sooner keep healthy by reminding myself to eat healthy whenever my habits slip. And the do slip. I’m not perfect.

It’s been shown that people who go on and off of diets tend to gain weight in the long run, as well as stressing their bodies. So what’s the answer?

Figuring out what eating habits work right for you. For most people, this means eating healthier. More fruits and vegetables, less meat, especially red meat.

This isn’t easy for a lot of people. How many servings of vegetables do you manage daily? What about fruits? Are you anywhere near where you should be?

I’ve been working hard on my eating habits. One thing I’ve been trying is eating a vegetarian lunch most days. Cuts back on the meat, which most Americans eat way too much of anyhow. I’ve also been adding more vegetables to dinner. That’s easy at this time of year, as our garden has really taken off. By the way, fresh grown cherry tomatoes are a wonderful snack when you just need to eat something quick.

The goal is for this to be a lifestyle change, not a diet. Therein lies the difference. Learning to eat fewer sweets including (whimper) less chocolate. Not cutting it out completely, I know I’d never succeed at that because I don’t WANT to.

Of course, none of this will work without exercise. Diets or eating less can only take you so far in your goal of being healthier, rather than merely thinner.

I consider this to be a very important goal for me. I don’t own a scale. Weight is a number that gives you only a limited amount of information. And since muscle weighs more than fat, I think a scale could be counterproductive when you want to get more fit and lose fat. It can make you feel like you’re making less progress than you are.

If you’re dieting, make sure you’re thinking about what you’ll do what the weight is gone. Your eating habits need to remain healthy, even if you aren’t trying to lose weight.

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