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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Obsess-a-holic

I have a problem with moderation.

My problem is that it doesn't work.

I was fearful for a minute that it might just be me, but then I got out my googling fingers and realized that 2 out of every 3 adults in America are either overweight or obese, and over 20 million Americans are currently in treatment for an addiction. It seems to be a universal problem.

This struggle is nearly unstoppable in me. There is a predictable pattern of obsessive behavior in me that you can almost set your watch by. I can't do anything "just a little bit." I can't just "try new things." I have to go ALL THE WAY. And then I quit.

There is depressing evidence of this sickness in every corner of my house. I have untouched crochet hooks and skeins of yarn in a bag in the closet. I have soap making supplies above the fridge. I have the remnants of homemade laundry detergent in a tupperware container in my utility room. I have gallon upon gallon of oddly colored paint in the shed. I have a sewing machine in my closet. I have a juicer plugged in on my counter top, a food processor tucked away in the cabinet, and a brand new yogurt maker hidden in with the pots and pans. I rarely, sometimes never use any of them.

It's why I have done the Master Cleanse, the South Beach Diet, the Dr. Oz YOU diet, the veggie soup diet, and a prolonged juice fast.

And sadly, it's why I was all about clean eating when that juice fast was over but have had to "start over" at least 10 times since.

I realized something while I was running today, and I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. Food and fitness are different from trying new little craft projects and hobbies. I can start quilting and then quit. I can try to sew and decide it's not for me. I can hop on the DIY bandwagon and then hop right off when I decide it's easier to just go to Kroger and buy some freakin' yogurt and laundry detergent.

And all of those things, even if I stick with them, have a definitive end point.

Food and fitness doesn't end. It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle. It's not losing pounds, it's being healthy. This isn't something to treat as an obsession, because it's never going to be "finished." Once I lose the weight I have to maintain it. There will always be another level to get to.

This realization made me understand that I have to continuously challenge myself. I can't quit, because this isn't about finishing something. It's about living my best life. Some days I don't want to go get gas, but I do it anyway because it makes my life better to not get stuck on the side of the road. I have to get my mind committed to food and fitness the way it's committed to going to the store, fueling my car, working, loving, and breathing in and out.


It doesn't need to have rules and restrictions. I'm not "on a diet." I'm living my best life. I MUST WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THIS.

This is a journey that has no end point, no destination. It's JUST about the journey.

And I refuse to find myself stranded on the side of the road.

(But I sort of hate not knowing where I'm going.)



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