Lose Weight!

10 Joys Of Healthy Living!
By Julia Griggs HaveyeDiets Master Motivator
I know, I know. Before even reading the article, you looked at the headline and thought, “there is no joy in living healthy!” Well, if that’s what you think, you are wrong.
There is great joy in living a life of health and fitness. I would know! I have lived a sedentary life at over 250 pounds. My life then revolved around food: when I would get my next fix, what it would be and whether I would like it -- and that was when I was dieting.
It seemed like when I was overweight and on a diet, my entire day focused on food. I can remember very clearly sitting at my desk at 10 a.m. and thinking about lunch. I would often wonder, “Should I get Chinese food with no MSG or the veggie pizza from the place around the corner?”
My breakfast often was a fresh baked bran muffin and a supersized diet coke from the local bakery. Going in there to get my bran (read “healthy”) muffin usually made me at least 20 minutes late for work, but hey, I had to get a healthy breakfast for my “diet.”
Many nights, I actually skipped dinner and then rewarded myself for being so diligent on my diet by helping myself to double portions of my “lite” Espresso and Cream ice cream. This was my personal favorite “diet food.” I found it very reassuring to know that I could enjoy something as soothing as ice cream and still be on my diet.
I remember telling myself that it really didn’t make any sense to stuff myself into my workout clothes and go to my aerobics class. I was convinced that the other patrons laughed at “the fat lady jiggling as she danced.” And, I thought, “Why bother, since it clearly isn’t helping me to lose weight.”
Rationalization is often used to excuse our actions and make us feel better about our choices. I rationalized that my choices were healthy, and even that they were supporting my diet efforts. However, I was miserable and gaining weight. There was little joy to be found in my life.
Upon closer examination of my actions, I realized that the bran muffin that I had convinced myself was a diet food actually had 35 grams of fat. Whoa! I really had NO idea that the seemingly helpful raisin-filled, bran bountiful muffin was actually hindering my weight loss. I found it amazing that the very thing I sought out each day to help me lose weight was actually adding pounds to my body.
The ice cream? It was another big eye-opener when I learned that the word “lite” didn't make it a healthy choice. I learned that so many of the things that I was doing were actually unhealthy, and that despite how much I enjoyed them, they were not doing my body any good.
So then, what joys are there in healthy living if the things that we enjoy are part of unhealthy living? I replaced my fat-filled bran muffin with egg white omelets, oatmeal or fresh fruit and yogurt. Preparing them at home actually got me to work on time, and even early on many occasions. I had more energy, and my days became much less hurried and stress-filled.
Each week, I started bringing a bag of groceries to work on Monday morning. Then, each day at lunchtime, I went to the kitchen area and made my healthy veggie sandwich. It may sound boring that I ate the same sandwich day in and day out, but what it really did was free my mind up from always thinking about what to eat and allowed me to focus on my job. My productivity went up, my income increased and my self-confidence started rebuilding itself.
At night, I actually joined my children at the dinner table, eating the same healthy dinner that I prepared for them. I stopped eating the nightly bowl of LITE “sabotage” (ice cream) and had fresh fruit if I was hungry for something sweet.
I went back to the exercise classes after I felt a bit more confident in tights and found that the other patrons were proud of my progress and actually supported my efforts to get healthy. I made friends and got such a great sense of accomplishment each time I exercised.
I quit rationalizing that I liked my life just the way it was, even though I was heavy. Instead, I actually started liking my life. I stopped doing things that artificially and temporarily added joy to my life and started down a road of healthy living that provides me with real and lasting joy to this day.
For the record, I haven’t had a bran muffin, ice cream or a diet soft drink in years. I have lost over 100 pounds and kept them off for over 9 years, and I can assure you, I have more joy in my life now than I ever dreamed possible.
Sound good to you? Here are just a few of the benefits you can expect when living a healthy life:
Joys of Healthy Living:
1. You aren’t obsessed with food.
2. You are in control of your choices.
3. Your body is fit and allows you the freedom to dance, run and jump at will.
4. You can wear what you want, when you want to.
5. Your self-confidence will increase.
6. You will experience improved health.
7. You will likely increase your longevity.
8. You will feel a greater sense of happiness.
9. You will tend to focus on the important things in your life.
10. Best of all, you'll never have to “diet” again. You may have dieted before, but you never eDieted! This time IS different.
Email Julia with your comments at julia@juliahavey.com. You can also visit her website at www.JuliaHavey.com.
EDITOR'S NOTE: You've seen Julia on the QVC home shopping network and The Sally Jessy Raphael show. She's been called "America's weight-loss Cinderella, someone with the passion of Tony Robbins, enthusiasm of Richard Simmons and the humor of Jerry Seinfeld." To get your copy of Julia's blockbuster motivational book, Awaken the Diet Within, From Overweight to Looking Great -- If I Can Do It, So Can You!