Eat to Live Not Live to Eat

Eat to live not live to eat. I used to do the latter for many years. I would wait with anticipation for the coming meal, planning what I would eat and drink for hours before the meal itself. It was the highlight of my day, followed by utter disappointment once the meal was over. Food became somewhat of an obsession. And, this period of my life was when I was at my highest weight – not surprisingly.

I’m not quite sure when it all changed but over time I began to look at food as more of a tool. You know when you take vitamins, you feel so healthy that you’re doing something good for your body? Or, when you exercise that feeling of satisfaction you get? That’s how I started to think about food. It became somewhat of a game for me. How many vitamins and nutrients could I get into one meal? I would pat myself on the back when I ate fish, spinach, olive oil…and of course, margarine. Not surprisingly, once I started eating healthy and looking at food in a different light, my weight dropped considerably. I lost approximately 15 pounds, which is significant on my 5’2” frame.

These days I don’t have as much time to play the vitamin game but I do still get that feeling when I know I’ve eaten something really good for my body. Like this morning, I ate some whole wheat bread and margarine along with a strawberry smoothie enriched with protein and fiber. It just started my day off well. I think it actually tricks my mind into being in a good mood.

Anyways, my point is, it’s a lot more enjoyable when you think about food as something delicious that’s purpose is to fuel your body. Too many people consider food an enemy and have a love-hate relationship with it.