Back in the Groove

I've been trying to get back into the "healthy" groove for several weeks now, but nothing was working. I haven't been walking in literally months, and fast food, pizza and other easy, brainless foods have been going into my mouth far too often.

I've tried. The thought of going out West this summer at a too-high weight isn't appealing. Neither is that fact that a lot of my clothes are rather too small now.  So I've tried, but without a lot of success. I've been working a lot more hours lately, and although that's great for the paycheck, it's not so great for the home life.

Sometimes, you can't force yourself back into the groove. Sometimes, you have to fall into it.  And that's what I just did Tuesday afternoon. Literally.  I was walking into a store and tripped and fell, hard. I stumbled a bit before I fell, and actually thought I might be able to pull it out before I hit the ground, but no such luck. I actually had time to realize that the last time this happened, I was at about the same weight I am now. 

Apparently, that was the realization that woke me up. I realized that my excess weight was pulling me off balance. I was helped up by a nice store manager, who also showed me where to find what I was looking for (za'tar, for the record).  When I got home, I gingerly made myself dinner of fish over a bulgur wheat/tomato/ green bean/green onion salad. It was tasty, and when I realized I'd made too much bulgur, I immediately put the leftovers in the refrigerator instead of just eating all of it.

My eating isn't "perfectly" healthy. In the past, I've been very successful at losing weight, but I've been rather obsessive about exactly what I'm eating. I've watched very closely my calories, my carbs, my protein, etc. The thing is, I know how to eat healthfully. My problem is that I tend to have an all or nothing mindset. I'm either totally 100% in the groove or I'm not.

I'm trying to change that now. I'm trying to think, "what can I eat that's tasty and well balanced?"  I have to admit, it's easier for me to be healthier in the summer. I like to walk when it's between 60 and 70 degrees, which it usually is early in the morning. I like to eat things like main dish salads. I like all the fresh produce that's available.

So I feel pretty encouraged that I can do this balanced thing, and keep myself from falling into any more sidewalk grooves.