In response to Drazil's post about power over food...

Amen sister!

For those of you who are not Drazil (a follower of my blog with a hilarious blog of her own), her post today was about how we have very little control over our little universi, with the exception of our bodies.

In response to her blog, I wanted to make some notes about why I fully agree.

When it comes down to it, we take the hand we're dealt, and can make do with it as we wish, within our means. The problem is, most people accept average, and average tends to be lazy and unhealthy.

I decided to cope with depression and anger and all the resulting health problems (ones that are within my control, since I'm aware that some health problems seem to appear out of nowhere) by making my physical person as perfect as possible. By perfect, I do not mean visually, but in its ability to work FOR ME.

I generally feed myself foods that serve a purpose AND please my mouth, thus fulfilling energy requirements and mood-related needs. I do not deprive myself, but must exercise extremely challenging restraint at times because I indulge a lot.

People keep asking me what "my secret" is. This mindset makes me want to punch people. You know why? Because it is NOT EASY losing weight and becoming fit. It just isn't. It might be easy to lose the first 10-15 lbs, but that is precisely where most people stop, and usually gain back the weight and start over. It takes support, motivation, ass-kicking, whining, deprivation, anger, energy and some degree of intelligence to power through and lose all the weight, put on all the muscle or maintain one's figure.

How do I explain to someone the years of emotional damage that gave me the motivation to do this? I want to shake them and say it's now or never, it's your body, and it's your choice. You either do it today or you don't. Every day you don't is one less day to try. If you don't do it, stop feeling guilty about it and live it up. If you do, be prepared for a long, ongoing journey that will affect every aspect of your life.

In my case, I can clearly and without question say that the happy life I am leading right now is a direct result of me taking such good care of myself. I have more energy for the people around me. Oh and did I ever mention that the "ex-personal trainer" I've been referring to since day 1 in this blog now happens to be my boyfriend, and the man of my dreams?

I know this kind of perfect lifestyle pairing can't happen to everyone, but it goes to show that no matter how much I thought I didn't deserve "great", when I treated myself as great, everything wonderful fell in my lap. I am rejoicing in it while it lasts...I controlled something, and then everything else fell into place.

Try it. Try just controlling you from the bottom up. First with the way you treat your body and the words you say to yourself, then expand that outwardly and good things will happen.

wow. this post was weird. but I totally get what I mean. I just hope y'all do too heh!