To Each His or Her Own

Ethan's First Communion was 2 weeks ago.  This was the cake that I  made.  That was before I temporarily gave up sweets and processed carbs.  Over the past weekend I had 3 opportunities to eat cake.  Each time I happily said, "No, thank you."

Next time you are shopping, browse the check-out stand for magazines.  Most likely you will find a weight loss or healthy living article advertised on the front of 80% of those magazines.  As if that's not amazing enough, if you read each of them, they will probably each have a different way for you to eat or live to stay or get healthy.  There are so many books, magazines, plans, styles and theories out there to lose weight and stay healthy.  Sometimes it can be overwhelming.

On Monday, I found myself in a few different conversations with some friends of mine from my home school group over the period of a few hours. I'm not sure why I happened to find myself in these conversations.  I didn't start any of them. Maybe it's the weather in Wisconsin that has us all thinking about getting healthy. Or maybe it's because some of them know of my plights with my weight over the years.  Maybe some of them read my blog.  I'm not exactly sure.  Anyway, since this is a topic near and dear to my heart I found myself engaged in all of the conversations that I happened to be in at different times of the morning.

After leaving the gym class for the morning the conversations rung in my head.  There was a different topic and a different tone to each one of them.  One of them involved different exercise forms that people have been trying lately.  Pilates versus yoga came up.  One of them involved going to exercise classes versus exercising on your own.  Which one of them works for you?  Another conversation included a book recommendation for a healthy eating plan.  That conversation went in many directions with all participants giving their ideas for healthy eating plans and their book or plan recommendations too.

What fascinated me the most of this busy morning was how many different ideas people were trying or planning to try to lose weight, tone up, stay healthy or get healthy.  All of these conversations happened to be with women and each one of these wonderful women had different ideas for their lifestyle.  I could have left the building that day frustrated with the fact that they all didn't prescribe to my thoughts on healthy eating and exercise but I didn't.  Over the past several years that I have been on this journey I have seen many friends and family living their version of a healthy life.  In my past thinking I would have thought, why don't they just do it this way?  Don't they know how much sense this makes and how well it works?  I don't think that way anymore.  I have seen many different ways work well for other people.  As I get older I realize that everyone has a way that works for them or that feels comfortable for them.

If you choose not too eat bananas, that's okay.  That's what works for you and what feels comfortable to you. I may or may not choose to join you in that venture and that's okay for me.  I love hearing about all of the different ideas.  They resonate in my head whether I try them or not.  A friend of mine who reads this blog suggested a low-carb diet to me months ago.  At the time, I had no interest.  What I was doing at that time was what I wanted to do.  Now, months later I find myself on a low-carb diet.  I'm enjoying it and it's working for me.  I'm glad she shared it with me but didn't push me to do something that I wasn't comfortable with at the time. I share it here on this blog not to make everyone reading it do what I am doing but to make others aware of yet another strategy to lose weight and stay healthy.  You may chose to join me in my journey or try what works for you instead.

We don't all have to do the exact same thing.  What we have to do is what feels right to us.  I would encourage you today to ask yourself what feels right?  Should you give up all carbs?  Should you give up only processed carbs?  Should you give them up permanently or just for a time?  Should you keep eating what you want, when you want?  Should you track your points or calories?  Should you exercise every day or every other day?  What is right for you?  Figure out what it is an do it.  Own it.  Feel good about it.  Take care of yourself and your family.

Have a great day,

Corinna

"By contrast, the fruit of he Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." -Galatians 5:22-24