Lifestyle changes

We've both gained weight over the last few years and it's time for us to try to get rid of some of it. I'm not supposed to try to lose a whole lot of weight but I can - and should - try to be more fit. My psychologist, in particular, believes that if I can become more fit by eating right and through regular walking or other exercise, I'll be better able to handle the emotional stuff that will come up through therapy. This makes sense to me because I already know that when I eat badly and do nothing, my thinking goes down and feels sluggish.

We've already started making small lifestyle changes to try to be healthier. For example, we've started going for walks after dinner. It isn't a huge amount of exercise but it's a good start. We've also bought ourselves a fancy scale that will graph our weight, body fat, and BMI for us. Hopefully this tool will help us make the long-term lifestyle changes we need to make in order to lose weight.

You see, I've been on diets off and on for most of my life and I know that they don't work. Depriving oneself of food will make one lose weight... but without a corresponding shift in mindset, the weight won't stay off. Losing weight and getting fit require a change in the way the person thinks about food and activities. So if I want to be more fit (and I do), I need to start eating things like vegetables and fruits. More than that, I need to *like* eating them, and I need to see them as part and parcel of my diet. I need to think of myself as someone who eats fruits and vegetables and not someone who eats ice cream... and that's a tough shift in thinking to make.

One of my sisters has made these same shifts in thinking s I hope to get some advice from her as to how to make this work. For now I'll make small changes and see how they go.