Old Dog, New Tricks

I used to eat when I was happy, when I was sad, when I was watching TV, when I had a craving, when someone else had food, when I had nothing better to do and whenever I wanted, just because I could.

When I decided at the beginning of the year that 2012 was going to bring a new Shelby into the picture, I had to make a lot of changes. I had to teach this old dog new tricks.

It sounds simple. Output needs to be greater than intake. I need to be active. I need to move around. I need to break a sweat. I need to kick my butt into shape. No one else can do that for me. I need to realize that I need to be healthy. I do not want to have the health problems that my family experiences due to weight issues.

I need to stop using food as a crutch. Food is not my friend. It should not give me the warm fuzzies. Food is fuel. Nothing more. Nothing less. Food is there to help me survive.

I can run. I can jog. I can walk. That's the easy part. Giving up one of my greatest loves is difficult. Food has always been there for me. It's hard to say goodbye.

I don't eat past 7:30pm. That's when the cravings used to hit. But I needed to be strong. At the 4 week mark, I don't rush home for Starbursts or cookies. I don't need to reward myself at the end of the night with four scoops of ice cream covered in chocolate syrup.

My reward is weight loss. My reward is my health. My reward is my future.