Nancy turns to us and smiles. It seems weird that her cloud of blond hair and pale pink leggings fit in oh so well with the decor. "Ok guys, here we go. Today is the first day of the rest of your healthy lives." Rudy Clap Guy high fives someone behind me. "Now, what you eat is totally up to you," she says walking backward slowly, "and there are no wrong answers here. Ok? Just remember, our goal is to get good for you things." And with that she turns around and starts beaming at the weird looking guy in charge of the salads.
'Good for you things'? What the hell is that exactly? Am I suppose to eat the Caesar salad or that carrot raisin stuff? Is it better to eat a wheat roll or a white one? Should I have butter? Can I eat broccoli casserole or should I get mashed potatoes instead?
Oh no! Oh no! I feel my hands go numb, and my heart skips a beat at the sound of my tray crashing to the ground. My legs give way and the rest is well....
"B.R.A member down! B.R.A member down!" Rudy Clap Guy shouts.
"I think she's overloaded with choice, Nance!" Ms. Talks A Lot screeches. I just want some cake, I think as the weird looking Salad Guy kneels down beside me.
Food. Its the necessary evil of our lives. Although, it really doesn't have to be an evil at all. Food is actually meant to be our fuel, but somehow over the years it has gotten confused with celebrations, mourning, boredom, and everything else in between. Add on to that the gajillion choices we have piled on top of one another and it's a recipe for disaster.
Just think about this for a moment...every time you feel bored you drive down to the gas station, pull up to the pump, choose from 10 different types of gas, and fill up your gas tank. You get a raise at work and WHAM! Citgo here you come! Not only would your tank be full all of the time, but you would be wasting money left and right. That's pretty much what we do to our bodies--well, ok, I'll take you out of it and just say that's pretty much what I do to my body.
For the past two weeks I haven't really changed my eating habits. I mean, I have cut back a little on certain things but for the most part I just eat whatever I like. This week I plan on making small changes so eventually I can stop dreaming about grocery stores (yes...it totally happened). I'm still channeling the tortoise so I won't just sweep the pantry clean of not-so-good-for-me foods, but I will make a conscious effort to watch my intake. I also have to be careful of which choices I make. Just because there are 50 different types of cereal doesn't mean all 50 are what my body needs. Sticking to simple, customizable foods may be a good choice.
Thank God we polished off the last of that 4 layer red velvet birthday cake this morning (what? don't judge me--like you've never ever ever had cake for a mid-morning snack) or else this would be a lot harder than it has to be.
The Runner
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