Facing the Fear: Learning How To 'Live Healthy,' Part 1

Subscribers to Self and Women's Health aside, how many of you are anxiously awaiting the next article about getting healthy–or the next TV diatribe about the epidemic of obesity/heart disease/blah, blah, blah in America?

I know I'm not.

And I know why I'm so prickly about the whole subject. It's not because I'm being deluged with health factoids 24/7, which I am. No doubt you are, too. 

It's something else entirely, which I'll address in a minute.

Meanwhile, I must admit I'm addicted to my morning cereal and milk. Yes, it's Great Grains, which is fairly healthy, but I find that if I eat something with more protein in the morning, I don't snack as much.

So with that in mind, I've been having the occasional scrambled egg, and I also bought several little 6 oz. containers of plain Greek yogurt and placed them front and center in my fridge. But I've been ignoring them for a week because when I tried one, it tasted awful. 

Today, however, I added honey, walnuts, and a smidgeon of vanilla extract–all because of a boring health article I read in the morning paper. And the yogurt concoction was delicious. (Bravo, morning paper health pundit!)

Here's the thing I alluded to earlier about all this obsessive reporting on achieving good health: it's not so much the facts that discomfort me. It's this: when I was mixing that yogurt, I felt almost a little afraid. I think it's because I really, really don't like to think about food and limiting myself that way.

But the main thing I fear is trying to make myself change. 

I don't like change. Everything in me is crying out to stay the way I am. I've never been a person who likes to practice self-discipline about anything. It bores me, usually, and I want to move on to my loosey-goosey way of approaching life.  

But at a deeper level, I'm afraid I won't be the same person. I worry I'll become a sleek, smug health pundit. I won't be me anymore.

Well, if I really, really get truthful with myself, I realize that's just silly–as silly as thinking that people who care about their health are smug know-it-alls.

I'm glad I'm acknowledging these irrational thoughts to myself, though. It frees me up to focus on the important thing–taking care of my health. Every day, I'm getting older. I want to have more adventures and write more books, and I don't want a sluggish, unhealthy body holding me back.

So I'm gutting through my fear of change. I'm going to ignore those excellent rationalizations I have for ignoring the health pundits (although occasionally I still find myself wishing Cream of Wheat upon them every day for the rest of their lives).

The other way I'm changing is through exercise. I'll talk about that next post.

What's your experience with food? I know that's a broad topic, but it's a big issue for a lot of us! Please feel free to share your thoughts here. I'm going to send the magnetic bookmark pictured above to a random reader who leaves a comment.

I love what the bookmark says: "She was on a journey back to her wings."

I like to think that message applies to all of us. We're each moving toward becoming our best selves, every day.  It's what makes life so challenging and exciting.

If you want to read another blog addressing food issues, check out this entry in the always interesting and lively Bettyverse. And also check out author Ashley March's blog–the Romance Biggest Loser competition is coming!

Hugs from Kieran :>)