How Serious is Your Weight Problem?

How many times have you been in a room and heard someone say, "I've tried so many diets or different ways to lose weight and my body just won't cooperate? I give up!" Or what about the person who says, "I'm just big boned and being heavy runs in my family." I bring this up because it's something I've heard on both accounts just this past week. 

I know I've blogged on this subject briefly before, but it's a topic that creeps in the minds of the overweight population often, and it really doesn't need to be there. I admit, there were times in the past that I know I felt this way, only to learn in the most recent years, it's just an excuse! A big fat excuse! I'm sorry in advance if that offends anyone, but it's something I've become passionate about. It's not a diet that is going to make you lose the weight. It's a lifestyle. You're not heavy because you're big boned or because larger framed people exist in your family. Those are just excuses. (Don't get me wrong. I've been guilty of trying to use them too.) How many people have you seen that have transformed their lives and are tiny now? Maybe not many but there are a few of us out there. If it was genetics or the fact that they truly were big boned/framed, they would have never made it to tiny. 

You see, obesity is a disease just like any other disease out there. In some ways it's even more serious because it goes undetected in many cases and isn't diagnosed or treated until it's too late and a loved one is lost because of being uneducated and making poor choices. Obesity is not just the outward appearance of a large looking, unhealthy person but also a person who has a number of other things going on, including elevated cholesterol, "hardening" of the arteries, enlargement of the heart, blood clots, diabetes, depression, and growth of cancerous cells which can lead to more serious health issues.  It's proof that obesity is not just on the outside shell of someone gaining weight.

I like to think of my body and my health just as any other serious illness out there. We need to. Your life is that important. If your child were diagnosed with cancer tomorrow and the doctor told you that you needed to do a series of treatments in order to save his/her life, you would do anything and everything in your power, including prayer to save that life, right? Well, our health when we are obese and unhealthy is just as serious and needs just as many treatments, dedication, and everything in our power, including prayer to save the life of the unhealthy, obese person.

I know when trying to lose weight that the road ahead can often look daunting and sometimes impossible. The good news is, just like any other serious health ailment, it can be overcome. If you've ever known of someone or experienced other serious health issues yourself, you know it's hard. It takes courage, (a lot of it) dedication, (daily) patience, (both with your mind and your body) a series of treatments, (healthy eating and exercise) and prayer (this was a big one for me). The way I look at any life threatening ailment, including obesity, is to remember that all things are possible with God on your side. It may not be easy, it may not be the answer you were hoping for, but in the end, a way will be provided and you will accomplish your dreams!

Kashi GO LEAN Crunch!

I had started to share a recipe with you that contains brown rice, tofu, and a ton of veggies and had been referring to it as fried rice. After the week I've had (if you've missed out, click here) I decided it wasn't the best timing under certain circumstances as I kept typing fried LICE! (Can you tell what consumes my mind these days?) Anyway, I decided to hold off on that one until next week. 

In the meantime, here is one of my favorites - Kashi GO LEAN Crunch! I was introduced to Kashi a couple years ago and we've been best friends ever since. I love the stuff. They have several flavors of cereal out there, but for me, I'm partial to the "Crunch."  I think I like it so much because it has almonds thrown into the mix.

Some things to know:

190 - 200 calories a serving

9 grams of protein (As much protein as one egg.)

8 grams of fiber (Twice as much fiber as a cup of blueberries.)

500 mg of your Omega-3

15g whole grains (1 out of the 3 servings recommended daily.)

I've never been a big cereal person. I think most of that stems from the fact that I don't like milk, but for some reason, if the milk is cold enough (yes, I add ice cubes to my cereal) I do fine. In fact, I really enjoy and look forward to the mornings I have my Kashi GO LEAN Crunch! Trust me, if you've never tried it, it's a must. It may just become a staple in your pantry like it has in mine.

Head Lice & Weight Loss!

I'm not quite sure head lice has anything to do with motivation, inspiration, and weight loss, but it's what I seem to be dealing with full force these days. NO, I DON'T have head lice BUT I work at an elementary school and we've had a terrible lice epidemic. It's been SO bad that they closed school yesterday and we even made the local news! (Not sure that's something to be proud of but of course had to share.) I can't seem to keep up with numbers as people keep dropping like flies, but there has been close to 60 kiddos and 14 adults who have come in contact with these nasty bugs. Yuck! It's actually very sad and quite frustrating for many. Not to mention an expensive project.  I've spent my share of time not only trying to keep my own family lice-free by taking all the necessary precautions, spending hours cleaning and doing laundry but have also spent countless hours picking nits and lice out of co-workers hair so they too can hopefully soon be lice-free. 

One thing I do know is that my eating has not been what it should. Not in a way that I'm eating the wrong things or making bad choices and pigging out. Actually it's quite the opposite. I'm hardly eating at all. I haven't gotten a lunch break at work for days and I end up bringing my lunch back home with good intentions of eating it as a snack.  Honestly, by the time I get home, jump right in the shower, and get to feeling clean again, my stomach is still unsettled from thinking and dealing with BUGS all day.  I find myself neglecting to eat except for maybe a snack later in the evening before bed. Not good I know. How can my body do what I want if I'm not fueling it properly?

This whole nightmare has been a very stressful, time consuming, and somewhat emotional to deal with. I know for myself I'm emotionally spent and SO looking forward to the four-day weekend we have coming up. I'm planning on getting my eating back on track as well as my water intake so that I can feel like a normal person again. I also might need to take some time for myself. I'm feeling a little out of sorts and maybe suffering a little from compassion fatigue. (Something I hadn't thought of until my friend said she read it somewhere and mentioned it to me today.)


Regardless of my crazy week, I'm so looking forward to things getting back to normal and living in a bug-free Environment!

Half Marathon Training Update - Never stop Believing in yourself!

We are about to begin week 8 of 12 of our training schedule for our half coming up at the end of next month. I have to say I've had my share of not so great runs lately, not to mention the problematic feet to go along with it. It's become quite certain that my feet are very moody and some days they do well on the pavement and other days they just seem to scream the entire way through. The odd thing is, there is no predicting when they are going to decide to give me a fit. Some days they do great and you'd never know I had both of them operated on less than a year ago, and then there are days where they are swollen, tight, sore, and unable to run. We've tried to narrow it down but still it seems to be a bit of a guessing game. They do seem to do much better running in the morning but then again this last week we were scheduled a 5 miler Wednesday morning (yes, before work and if you know me, this is a sacrifice because I love my sleep) and we only made it 3 miles. I knew pretty early on in the run my feet weren't going to cooperate and  unfortunately running through this type of pain is not an option for me. It gets so unbearable that my feet actually feel like someone is hammering them to the pavement. (Yes, I know....OUCH!) When this happens it's only natural for me to get discouraged and start doubting the goal ahead. I feel like a yo-yo of sorts and can never seem to predict if my feet will or will not work on any given day. It's actually quite daunting in some respects. I start thinking about race day in the near future and wonder how I will push through it if come race day, it's one of those days where by mile 2 I know it's not going to be a good day for the feet and they begin to scream at me. (Heaven knows, I won't be stopping!) But then I'm taken to a peaceful place like I was yesterday morning when we set off for our scheduled 8 miler (worried about my feet as I'd had a long couple days prior)  and ran it with very minimal issues, 3 minutes faster than last years 8 mile training run (not that that should matter, but hey it felt good), and only a time or two did my feet scream at me - they were very short-lived moments and I pressed on until we were finished. It's moments like these that I believe God is reminding me of what I've become and what I am capable of accomplishing - even if it's a somewhat painful road to get there. After all, look at what He has been through for each one of us? Was it always easy? Was is always pain-free?

When we were done I couldn't but give my running partner a hug and tell her thank you. It was a great run for me and just what I was needing to keep me encouraged. It was one of those moments that taught me again - regardless of what you are struggling with and or going through, whether it be weight loss or health issues....never stop believing in yourself!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Shake!

I've been perfecting this one for a while now and finally seem to have the right combination, and it's ohhhh SO good! (Like ordering a shake at a hamburger shop!)


What you will need:
1/2  banana (approximately 50 calories as a medium banana is around 100)
1 Cup Chocolate Soy Slender (70 calories)
1 Tablespoon all natural peanut butter (100 calories)
1/2 scoop either vanilla or chocolate protein powder (65 calories)
1-1/2 cups crushed ice (o calories!)
Total = 285 calories.

         Add everything to your blender and blend well.

 It's that simple! Not to mention a great after workout treat. So, if you're a peanut butter chocolate fan, I guarantee this will be a pallet pleaser. Enjoy!

I Didn't Cheat - Not Once!

I received an email last week and the person on the other end asked me the question: "Did you ever cheat when losing the weight?" Here is the way I look at it. No, I didn't. Cheating is cheating and it will get you nowhere in life no matter what you are trying to "cheat" at. How many people get satisfaction and gratification when they cheat? I personally don't know too many. Most of the time all I hear is complaining and excuses.  What about the kids in school who decide to borrow the answers from their neighbor and cheat on a test? What about the people being dishonest just for their own self-gratification and to get what they want? In other words, they lie and cheat their way through life. Regardless, however you want to look at it.... it's cheating.

People need to learn to thrive within themselves and grow and blossom because they have a deep desire within who they are to accomplish what is placed before them, regardless of whether it's related to school, life, food, or anything else that may entice one to cheat their way through life. We need to learn to not rely on someone or something else in order for us to be happy.  We need to learn to be self-reliant. 

The way I look at it, cheating is nothing but an obsession, addiction, and way of thinking for some people - yes, food being a big one! How many times have you heard someone say they "cheated" and had a small piece of cake at a birthday party? Or how about going for ice cream or ordering a dish at a restaurant you normally don't order? I'm the first to admit at one point in my life I had this same mentality. To be honest, it's all I knew. It's all I believed. I think the point in my life when I came to terms and could admit that I wanted my journey to be a way of life and something that will be part of me for the long haul, is when the word diet and cheating started to fade away. Forever. 

I lost all my weight by eating healthy and exercising. I did choose to be very strict with myself and as disciplined as I could to get to my goal. Did this mean I never ate anything naughty? No, of course not. But I will tell you those times were very few and far between for a while and that seemed to work for me. ( I averaged a steady pace of 1-2 pounds a week.)  For others, you might need to plan those times more frequently but within reason with what you are trying to accomplish so you still see progress and reach your goals. Part of making it a lifestyle is learning to enjoy all the foods you love, even the naughty ones, in moderation. It can be done. It needs to be done. If we don't learn how to take control of this concept now, we will never be successful and struggling with weight will become a lifelong issue.

 I find for me the best way to enjoy treats or "naughty" foods per say is to build them into my menu. I plan for them. Nine times out of ten I know if I'll be attending an event or going out to eat and feeling the need to splurge and have a treat or order something new and fun off the menu. When I plan for it, it makes it a guilt-free experience and allows me to not only enjoy myself, but also allows me to stay focused and in check with my body and what I want it to do for me. It is then very easy to resume my goals and pick up where I had left off. 

Now, as I've been maintaining for a year and a half, it's so nice to be able to enjoy all foods, just in moderation. If I hadn't worked at introducing a few treats as I went along, I often wonder how successful I would be at maintaining like I have. I didn't care how long it took me to lose the weight this time, I just wanted it to stay off forever! If that meant doing it the way I did it, well I couldn't be more pleased. Really, there are no limitations...it's all about moderation!

Loved My Kids Enough to Get Skinny!

Because yesterday was Mother's Day, I've been thinking heavily on what a joy it is to celebrate being a Mom. I have two of the greatest reasons for such a celebration, and today I get to share both of them with you. 

When I stop and think about when I was obese and terribly overweight or about the woman that I've become today, even though they are polar opposites, one thing is certain, the joy that has come into my life because I have been blessed to be a mother is something I hold close to my heart. Sure, when I look back on the choices I made as a mother when I was heavy, tired, and limited, I'm sure I did things differently than I tend to chose to do them now. (Lazy couch potato verses heading out on a hike with the kids.) Regardless, I know my children have not been robbed of my love or affection but have learned just how much I love and cherish them. Here is what they have to say about the matter:

Ever since my Mom has lost weight and become more active in her life, she's become even more of a joy to be around. (She's always been a joy but now it's SUPER JOY!) I love how active she has become and that she loves to go hiking, running, and work out. She even is hilarious to watch as she tries to master some of my clogging moves. She not only is my Mom but she's one of my friends. She's super cool and so fun to hang out with. I love spending time with her just bonding and doing girl things together. She truly is my role model and I love that she has taken her life back in a way that has not only changed her but changed me to be a better person too. I love you Mom! - McKenna

                                       Then.....

                                       Now......

I love my mom. She has always been so wonderful to me but it seems as though now days she's even more wonderful. Some of the things I love is that she does so many things outside now. Like hiking, and running. I've run with her and she's pretty good. She even makes it look easy! My mom is so fun to hang out with and doesn't seem to get as tired as she used too. She's always happy and I think she looks more elegant and pretty then ever before. One of the upsides of all this is that she makes awesome protein shakes for me before school. She also buys wheaties now and other yummy healthy stuff. She makes me want to eat healthy and exercise forever and teach my kids to do the same too. I try to help her and take care of her too by being supportive. She's always helping and taking care of me.  I guess the only downside to all of this is that we don't seem to have much snack food in the pantry these days. AKA-Not enough goodies! It doesn't matter though because I'll take a healthy mom over any other thing in the world. I'm so glad she's my mom. I wouldn't want any other mom in the world. I sure am lucky. I love my mom so much. - Blake

                                 Then.....

                            Now....

For my kids to see and witness that I'd want to take care of myself in a way that will allow me to live a long, healthy, active life has "sealed the deal" for them on the power of a mothers love and how much her children mean to her - that nothing will stand in her way of becoming the best mother she can...not even her weight!

Zucchini Pizza Bites!

Ok...these little critters are SO good. I made the recipe up tonight as I went along, so you can tweak it however you'd like. Not only  did I fall in love with them and find them delicious, but they're low in calories! (Two things I keep near the top of my list when picking foods to fuel my body with.) The pictures I've encluded don't do them any justice but YES, they are that good!
What you will need:
Fresh Zucchini
Feta Cheese
Diced Ham
Olive Oil
Fresh Garlic

 Slice zucchini and place on a cookie sheet. (It will be nice when the zucchini are bigger come summer.) Crush your garlic and put in a small bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and mix well. Brush each zucchini with olive oil and garlic.

Sprinkle with feta (Yes, I know feta again but it's my favorite!) Place diced ham on top of feta. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then switch to broil for 3-4 minutes. 

That's it. It's That easy! (The cheese may not look melted in the picture below, but trust me...it is. Bubbly and good!

You could serve this as a side dish, a healthy appetizer, or as dinner like I had it tonight, served with a side salad. 


Enjoy, and just think, you're eating pizza AND it's healthy!

Becoming Active = My Daily Vitamin

I was reflecting last night on how different my life is in so many ways now that I'm half the size I used to be. One of the the things that stuck with me as I was mulling this over was the difference in how active I've become.

Looking back, it's sad for me to think of what a slug I was. I'm not meaning to say this to put myself down, but it's the truth. That's how I lived from day to day - lazy, unmotivated, tired, and so out of shape I barely had motivation and energy enough to accomplish the simple things around my own house. Everything was a chore! The sad part of this equation is the fact that I must have thought it was okay to some degree. I know I wasn't 100% happy with myself, but I obviously didn't let it bother me enough to do anything about it for many years. I guess I wasn't sick enough of my body and lifestyle to do something about it sooner. My heart is crumbling in some ways looking back.  It's almost as if I wasn't that person, and I think, "How sad for her. I was wish there had been something I could have done to help her sooner."

I'm not really even sure I can tell you when or how I came to fall in love with being active. I do know that it didn't happen overnight and I do know that for the longest time I felt like it was a chore. I wasn't enjoying it, but I felt like if I wanted to lose weight, I had no choice. (I was in diet mode.) Once I started to see my own progress, even in the smallest way, it motivated me to work towards taking a little more weight off. (Never in my wildest dreams did I think that would include over 130 pounds.) I think I got to the point of enjoying who I was becoming when I wrapped my head around the idea that this was a lifestyle - something I wanted to keep doing the rest of my life. I learned that what I was doing for myself made me feel good. It made me look at things in a different light, and really, it become easier. Easier not only to move physically, but easier to eat better and give my body the fuel it needed.

As time went on, not only have I fallen in love with getting to the gym and having sore muscles, but I've discovered a love and passion for hiking and running. Two things I never dreamed I'd participate in like I do now. The last two summers all I can do is look forward to hiking and getting outside as much as I can.  And the fact that I ran my first  half Marathon last summer and am currently training for my second here in 6 weeks almost makes me giddy. Like I'm a normal person now. I love the fact that being active is like my daily vitamin. Not a day goes by that I'm not thinking about what I'm going to do that day to be active. 

What a wonderful life it has become!

This One's Close to My Heart...

I know this is a weight loss blog and most of the readers are looking for ways of inspiration or things I've tried to maybe help them on their own journey. Being Sunday and a day I set aside to go to church and worship I thought I'd talk a little bit about something very near and dear to my heart. God. One might think how could God effect my weight loss and my journey to happiness, but He did. In a huge way. This may be a little hard to understand or grasp if you don't have a relationship with Him but bare with me and feel of the love that He has not just for me as I embarked on my own journey, but the love He has for each one of you. It's big. It's huge! You see, I've always had a relationship with God for as long as I can remember. In fact I remember as a little girl, (maybe three or four) my parents reading me The Little Golden Book "Are you there God, it's me Margaret." At that age, it became a favorite book. I treated it like my own little Bible. I think I thought it was how I talked to God and how He talked to me. Our relationship grew from there and that book never got very far from me.

As the years went on and the weight and the scale went up I can honestly say I began to feel somewhat depressed and at times very alone. Being fat is a personal thing and different for everyone. In my case I wanted to hide. I was ashamed and embarrassed and not always good at loving people because I wasn't good at loving myself.  I did know however, that there was one person who understood everything I was going through and felt every sad moment I felt and always gave me the courage and confidence to keep going. That person was God. And even when I felt like I'd done wrong in His eyes by not taking care of this gift (my body) like I know I should have, he was still there - regardless. Forgiving, never leaving me alone to fight this battle on my own. He loved me so much that He would do anything He needed in order to get me to where I wanted and needed to be. He was the one that I could turn to in the saddest moments and I'd be able to feel a love that is indescribable. Not that my parents, husband, children and close friends haven't been a huge part in supporting me too. I feel like God has put each one of them in my life for a particular reason to help me on this journey. He knew I couldn't do it alone and would need some tangible help along the way.

I've felt like in so many ways my relationship with God has been strengthened because I've turned to Him so much during this time. At times, I had no choice. I was miserable and cried out to Him for any help I could get. I wanted His approval. I wanted His council. Maybe me being fat was all part of the plan? I've not only learned how to love and serve others during all of this, but I've learned how to love and provide service for myself. (Something we as human beings don't do enough of.) I also believe you'll get as much out of something as you put in. In this case, I put a lot into God and I've received a lot from God, and our relationship has grown. In a good way. In turn, I've put a lot into losing weight and changing my life around the natural way and look at what I'm getting out of it. A new body and a new person.

Whatever your struggle may be, you may choose to go about it differently than I and I'm okay with that. For me, it was obviously making sure God was on board. For you, it may mean something totally different. Find what it is that's going to pull you through your darkest moments and toughest times and just remember, the amount of time you put into something will determine its outcome.

Hummus Anyone?

To be honest, I'm really not a huge fan of beans, but for some reason they've become more and more appealing to me as time goes on. I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle them plain at this point but as long as they're served in things or disguised a bit, I don't seem to have a problem. In fact, hummus has become a favorite and it's a bean dip of all things!

Hummus is made of primarily chickpeas, and even though I haven't attempted to make my own hummus at this point, I hear it's very easy. I have realized after trying several types of hummus,  I tend to be pretty picky about which one I buy, but I think part of it is just the fact that I'm not a huge fan of beans so my taste buds get a little defensive when thrown too many new bean flavors.

The nutritional benefits of hummus can be rooted down to each of its ingredients. For one, chickpeas are very healthy because they do not contain any cholesterol or saturated fats. They are also rich in protein. This makes hummus a favorite among vegetarians. Chickpeas are also known to be effective in preventing build up of cholesterol in the blood vessels. Apart from that, it can maintain correct blood sugar levels.

Hummus also contains plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are great for maintaining a healthy heart. (This is a bonus for me considering the high risk of heart disease that runs in my family.) On top of it all, this dish also has iron, vitamin B6, manganese, copper, folic acid, and amino acids. I read recently that tryptophan, phenylalanine, and tyrosine are the amino acids found in hummus that can promote good quality sleep and uplift one’s mood. All the more reason we should be consuming hummus right?

Even if hummus may not be your thing, maybe try it again in a different way or serve it differently than what you tried it with before. Some of the ways I seem to enjoy my hummus are with raw veggies, spread on a whole wheat tortilla as a snack, or added to my whole wheat pasta instead of using a sauce. I know others who have used it as a sandwich spread. I'm not sure that sounds altogether appealing to me, but whatever works for you is what you want to go with.

Happy hummus eating! And just think about all the awesome nutrients you're pumping your body with by eating these little chickpeas.

 This is my favorite hummus at the moment. I've seen it in several stores but I choose get mine in a bigger tub from Costco. 


P.S. Another "snack food" my kids have fallen in love with!

I Wish I had More FAT Pictures!

I know I've mentioned this before, but I'm having the hardest time finding FAT pictures to share with not only you on this blog, but also to help myself reflect on how far I've come. I've spent some time the last several days going through old pictures and have come across some.  (One is a real doozy!) For the most part I tend to be still hiding behind everything and everyone in 99% of the pictures.

I was terrible about even taking "progression" pictures along the way. I have some, but they're not specific to any certain progress mark or months on my journey per say, just different occasions when pictures were taken.

 As crazy as it sounds, if I had to do it all over again, I'd get out the camera! My kids already think I'm the "camera queen" because I don't go very many places without taking a zillion pictures. It's just I was rarely in the pictures as I was either the one taking the pictures or didn't want to be seen in the pictures. Looking back I wish I had more of those "fat" pictures to ponder. Mostly because when I see the few that I do have they are shocking to me. They really pull and tug at something inside me and make me realize how unhappy and unhealthy I really was behind all that fat and skin. Was I really that big?! Then I smile as I study  pictures of myself now. I feel that sense of escape. The feeling that I'm not trapped anymore. That the burden has been lifted. I feel like I can breathe.  I feel like nothing is holding me back. That I can be who I've always wanted to be!

 

I'll Start Monday!

I read something yesterday that caught my eye - "I'll start Monday!" How many times have we heard that? Or how about, I'll start next week or In January I'll start doing that."  Why do we do that? I know I was guilty of it for years but the reality of it is,   we need to start today! Whatever it is we are wanting to do or change needs to start now. The thing about losing weight and formulating a regular exercise routine is that it's not a diet, it's  lifestyle. Diet says the word, temporary. Lifestyle, says the word, forever. Think about it this way,  In order to be healthy on a long term basis this is not just a temporary fix. It's got to be something you are willing to commit too forever. Have you been one of those people who's worked really hard for a period of time to take some weight off, or develop a new exercise routine, only to either slack off, take a break for a time and in the end you've ended up gaining it all back and them some? You're back to square one and often times with more to lose than the first time around? I know for me, there was a time when I took off 40 pounds following a specific eating plan, and felt like when I had reached a certain weight, I had done what I had set out to do, and it wasn't going to get any better than this so I went back to my old way in hoped the weight would stay off. Wrong! I learned real quickly by not making that one decision into  a lifestyle and something I would work at everyday, the weight came back and the exercise stopped. It was daunting and something that really bothered me. Almost as if I was a failure. Then that effects your self esteem and so many other factors in a persons life. Maybe that's why things are different for me this time around. Maybe I needed to go through that experience so I'd learn it doesn't work that way.

I knew when I started on this journey this time around I was determined to make it work. To make it a part of who I am. To make it a part of my lifestyle. In my mind there was no other option. It was not  just going to be a phase, it was going to become a new part of who I was. I had tobelieve that! I had to look myslelf in my bathroom mirror and tell myself those words- sometimes on a daily basis until it became a reality. Now, often times when people are expressing to me how much of an inspiration I am to them and that  they're going to get serious about their weight, and or exercise program, I have no qualms in telling them; "Don't bother unless you're serious! It's not worth it!"  Yes, we are human. We like food. But until we can wrap out heads around the fact that food is to our friend and to be used  as fuel not our enemy, I truly don't think as a people, we'll be able to change for good.

Something to think about:

If you wait until tomorrow to eat right, you'll never eat right, because tomorrow never comes. By the time it comes, it's today. Until you're ready to lose weight today, to eat healthy right now, in this meal, you never will. There's nothing that will be there tomorrow to make you do it that isn't here today. We need to keep in mind that having the desire is our starting point, but in order to make eating healthy a lifestyle, we need to realize there will be no finish line!