As a child you wonder what you will be when you grow
up... a doctor, a fireman, a flight attendant, a princess, a writer. At different points in my childhood I wanted
to be all of them. What stuck with me most was being a writer. I was constantly
writing short stories and poems usually about very sappy stuff. Writing was not going to give me the life I
wanted to enjoy so I went another route.
When I turned 40, I had a bit of a "what am I doing with
my life?" conversation with myself and reevaluated what I think I am good
at and how or even if I could apply that to my new 40-something life I was
planning to live. I was single, still young at heart, I was at the peak of my physical
fitness - fitter than when I was 20-something and worked out
religiously so I never really thought about my food intake. I knew I was good at my job, but I needed
more. It took a while to realize I was
actually very good at eating and drinking and then talking about it. I have always been the go-to person for most
people in my company and amongst friends of where to dine out in Boston in beyond. This brought me back to thinking about
writing again and what better thing to do than to write about food and wine,
something I absolutely love to do.
A number of years into writing my blog, which I love doing,
I realized the weight had gone up, the exercise had slowed and my physical peak
is no longer a peak, it’s more of a trough, a very deep trough. I work all the time and when I am not
working, I want to relax, have a glass of wine and dinner at a restaurant with
a friend.
This past weekend while I was looking for a dress for an upcoming wedding in Rome I came to the conclusion that I can no longer bare the thought of buying dresses two sizes bigger and ignoring all of the wonderful clothes I am too scared to try on from in my own closets. Maybe that is the real reason I write about shoes so much - they will always be a size five.
It's time for action. I know the answer is exercise more and eat less, but that is much easier said than done as anyone who has ever dieted in their life knows all too well. I really do like dining out, I love being social and prefer the company of friends rather than staying in on my own. Although, there is a lot to be said for an NCIS marathon with pasta and wine.
Yesterday I restarted Weight Watchers as it’s really the only diet plan that allows me to still enjoy the things I want and really the only plan that has worked for me in the past. If I want a glass of wine, I can have one. If I want dessert, I can have it. I have set my "realistic" goals for myself and now need to start making good trade-offs. This is not going to be easy trying to balance "dieting" with the life I love to live.
This past weekend while I was looking for a dress for an upcoming wedding in Rome I came to the conclusion that I can no longer bare the thought of buying dresses two sizes bigger and ignoring all of the wonderful clothes I am too scared to try on from in my own closets. Maybe that is the real reason I write about shoes so much - they will always be a size five.
It's time for action. I know the answer is exercise more and eat less, but that is much easier said than done as anyone who has ever dieted in their life knows all too well. I really do like dining out, I love being social and prefer the company of friends rather than staying in on my own. Although, there is a lot to be said for an NCIS marathon with pasta and wine.
Yesterday I restarted Weight Watchers as it’s really the only diet plan that allows me to still enjoy the things I want and really the only plan that has worked for me in the past. If I want a glass of wine, I can have one. If I want dessert, I can have it. I have set my "realistic" goals for myself and now need to start making good trade-offs. This is not going to be easy trying to balance "dieting" with the life I love to live.
An honest moment from 40-something life :).
How did you do it?
This is a tough one, for those of us who really enjoy quality food and socializing with friends. My biggest problem is balancing work/life/relationship against a rigorous workout schedule. I'm currently carrying about 15 extra pounds, which for 45 years old isn't too bad but I intend to trim it down over the course of this year by running and biking. You and I both have one huge advantage in common, since we live in the city, just getting around is a workout itself!
ReplyDeleteI'm there with you! It's so hard and I'm not doing as well as I should, I know, but I'm going to keep on trying and do this with you!
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely tricky to manage weight with a food blog! I find that the best things that work for me are regular workouts, portion control, getting enough sleep, and yoga. I am trying to lose a few pounds too just by being more mindful of what I eat. Good luck!
ReplyDelete