Happy New Year! I hope this post finds everyone healthy and well, and that you all had a joyous holiday season.
I've been a little absent when it comes to posting lately because I've been trying to follow the example my parents set for me. You know the old adage, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?" Yep...that's been my mantra as of late. I can't help it. This time of year, around the holidays and January 1st, frustrate me.
Every year we go from periods of excess and gluttony to periods of complete deprivation and unreasonable starvation. I go from being surrounded by food-pushers to diet-pushers. The one thing they have in common is that, regardless of what they're pushing, they both try to guilt everyone around them into believing and doing as they do. We go from, "What do you mean, you can't try my grandmother's famous peanut butter cookies? You have to try them!" to "You shouldn't eat that. I can't eat that, you know. It's not on my fill-in-the-blank-with-the-hottest-diet-of-the-moment eating plan. "
And, when I was a member of a gym, this time of year used to annoy me to no end. I was there, nearly every day of the year, working my tail off, regardless of a new year's resolution and yet each year, around January 1st, I'd have to battle a bunch of newbies (who would soon burn out) for parking spaces and my turn on the equipment. Thank goodness I now have a small home gym and no longer have to deal with that!
Couple all of this frustration with the general time of year and the cold, gray weather that accompanies it in Northeast Ohio and I can get a little cranky. I miss the sunshine, darn it! I'm starting to feel a little vitamin-D deficient, and I miss my walks! Oh, my lovely, hour-plus walks through the wonderful parks we enjoy here in Cleveland. I miss sitting outside with a good book or a magazine and enjoying the fresh air and the warm breezes. I miss fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmer's market, and grilling my purchases outdoors each night. *sigh*
So yes, I'm frustrated right now. I'm frustrated by people who have yet to realize that diets don't work, and only lifestyle changes do. I'm frustrated by folks who are looking for quick fixes and substitutes for the foods they used to eat. I'm frustrated by people who don't take the time to research scientifically sound plans of eating, and who are too blind to see that big medicine and big food only care about selling pharmaceuticals and the latest junk food they're advertising: they don't care about you, or me for that matter. Yep. I'm frustrated!
So I'm going to keep doing my own thing. I'm going to continue eating healthful, whole foods meals, devoid of processed junk, sugars, grains and starches. I'm going to keep drinking my water, getting my 8 hours of sleep a night, and getting some form of movement every day. And I'm going pray--long and hard--that the next 68 days go really quickly, because--darn it--I'm ready for spring!
-Jen
I've been a little absent when it comes to posting lately because I've been trying to follow the example my parents set for me. You know the old adage, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?" Yep...that's been my mantra as of late. I can't help it. This time of year, around the holidays and January 1st, frustrate me.
Every year we go from periods of excess and gluttony to periods of complete deprivation and unreasonable starvation. I go from being surrounded by food-pushers to diet-pushers. The one thing they have in common is that, regardless of what they're pushing, they both try to guilt everyone around them into believing and doing as they do. We go from, "What do you mean, you can't try my grandmother's famous peanut butter cookies? You have to try them!" to "You shouldn't eat that. I can't eat that, you know. It's not on my fill-in-the-blank-with-the-hottest-diet-of-the-moment eating plan. "
And, when I was a member of a gym, this time of year used to annoy me to no end. I was there, nearly every day of the year, working my tail off, regardless of a new year's resolution and yet each year, around January 1st, I'd have to battle a bunch of newbies (who would soon burn out) for parking spaces and my turn on the equipment. Thank goodness I now have a small home gym and no longer have to deal with that!
Couple all of this frustration with the general time of year and the cold, gray weather that accompanies it in Northeast Ohio and I can get a little cranky. I miss the sunshine, darn it! I'm starting to feel a little vitamin-D deficient, and I miss my walks! Oh, my lovely, hour-plus walks through the wonderful parks we enjoy here in Cleveland. I miss sitting outside with a good book or a magazine and enjoying the fresh air and the warm breezes. I miss fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmer's market, and grilling my purchases outdoors each night. *sigh*
So yes, I'm frustrated right now. I'm frustrated by people who have yet to realize that diets don't work, and only lifestyle changes do. I'm frustrated by folks who are looking for quick fixes and substitutes for the foods they used to eat. I'm frustrated by people who don't take the time to research scientifically sound plans of eating, and who are too blind to see that big medicine and big food only care about selling pharmaceuticals and the latest junk food they're advertising: they don't care about you, or me for that matter. Yep. I'm frustrated!
So I'm going to keep doing my own thing. I'm going to continue eating healthful, whole foods meals, devoid of processed junk, sugars, grains and starches. I'm going to keep drinking my water, getting my 8 hours of sleep a night, and getting some form of movement every day. And I'm going pray--long and hard--that the next 68 days go really quickly, because--darn it--I'm ready for spring!
-Jen
I'm so with you on this every step of the way. New Years newbies are the worst. Good call on the food pushers becoming diet pushers. That's just so true.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Maude. It's so nice to know that I'm not the only one who feels this way! :-)
ReplyDelete