Fashionably Fit

In high school, I had been very athletic and active.  Don’t a lot of stories about weight loss and control start this way?  I tend to think so.  I could eat anything at any time. My body was a machine.  I miss those days.   With how I have learned to cook in these later years, I wish I could eat like I did back then.  As time went by and my life became more sedentary, my weight bloomed from about 170 pounds to 220 pounds.  I still thought I was healthy.  Still thought I was in general good shape. 

I was hiding how I looked with bigger clothes.  I preferred to lay around the house on days off instead of get out in the sun.  Not to say I didn’t enjoy the outdoors, but I felt so uncomfortable about myself that going out wasn’t fun.  I didn’t want a camera near me at all.  I was lucky to meet a good person that motivated me to get in better shape.

I understand that at some point in many people’s lives they will battle the same situation.  Some are predisposed to being overweight due to genetics.  Some difficulties with weight can be due to medical reasons and a forced sedentary lifestyle.  What can be controlled is diet. 

With work, I do walk around a fair amount but I also have to sit behind a desk at times.  So due to my uncle’s prompting, I get more involved in hunting and fishing.  These are activities of patience and sitting but also planning.  Hikes through the woods become important when planning a future hunt thus increasing my activity.  It was extremely stressful but just a little bit helps.

But diet was the big change.  People talk about being on an organic diet.  I don’t prescribe to “organic” food but I do prescribe to natural food.  This means that I chose to eat lots of veggies, lots of meat, and I cut out sweetened or processed foods.  The weight just dropped.

Clothes I wore back in high school, yeah I still had them, began to fit again.  My pants literally were falling off me.  My lifestyle completely changed.  Tight shirts began to fit correctly.  It felt great.  I dropped back down to 180 pounds and I am still struggling to lose more.  I feel I am stuck there at the moment but I will push for at least ten more.  I plan to make it.

I know my story is fine but many people will not be able to obtain what I did.  Each person is different.  What I can say is that everyone can learn self control.  Start with one thing at a time.  Drop the sweetened foods and drinks.  Don’t eat food so close to bed time.  Walk the dog instead of letting them out in the back yard.  You will start to see a change if you commit.  It does become more of a mental thing than actual physical fight to control your weight.  If you really want it, you can do it and you will feel fashionably fit.  I beg those that read this to work hard and stay true to the changes you try to make in your life.  You will benefit and so will your family