When I needed to get my financials in check, it involved a massive overhaul of what I thought about money.
It became apparent that what I considered “luxury” was something that was not only unrealistic, but it was silly. Over time, I came to teach myself that luxury would not be defined by large tvs, elaborate homes, fancy cars, or name-brand clothes; I now define luxury as the freedom to buy food when we need it, to stop for gas without doing math in our heads, to be sick and afford medicine or a doctor’s visit. Luxury is now defined by freedom and options, NOT by things. Which, I think, was a huge turning point for me.
Now I need to find the same thing about food.
It’s going to take undoing of YEARS of believing the wrong things. Since I was 18, I’ve tried every fad diet in the book. I’ve worked hard to yo-yo diet, and Lord only knows how much money I’ve spent on the various diet trends. I’ve lived on Diet This and Low-Fat That and Sugar Free SomeMore and you name it, I’ve probably spent money trying it.
And? I’m kind of done.
Because what inevitably happens is that it’s NEVER as good, it’s ALWAYS crappy, and I RARELY feel happy after eating it. It doesn’t fulfill ANYTHING I need from food. Am I the first to admit that I enjoy food? YES, I AM. I’m a foodie. I LOVE food.
So my New Year’s Goal to stop eating diet food has been an awakening for me.
Of my fad diets, the two that have been the most effective were the Atkins Diet and the Reverse Diet. When I stopped to ponder why, it’s because: it’s REAL food. Real food. I loved the food that I ate. And when I was on the Atkins Diet, I loved the food enough that I didn’t feel the need to gorge on it. Same thing with the Reverse Diet. I ate the food that I wanted, no guilt, and I was happy about what I ate.
Let me caveat it all and say that I still try and make wise food decisions. I’m not living on Krispie Kremes, no matter how much I want to. But if it comes to using real butter versus margarine, or full-fat cheese instead of no-fat soy cheese? DUDE, that difference makes the food worth eating. Whole milk has been a welcome addition to our household. Real, honest food. And when we eat this real food? We’re not hungry enough to sit and gorge. And we don’t feel guilty about it.
It’s a new way to look at food. One I desperately needed, and one that will reshape 2010 for me.









