I honestly never saw myself becoming the person I am today, especially when it comes to how I'm now often times repulsed by others' poor eating and drinking habits.
Perhaps it's largely due to the fact that I used have horrendous eating and drinking habits 5+ years ago. About 10 years ago, I drank a great quantity of soda. Following some cavities due to that great soda consumption, I switched to Gatorade and that wasn't much better. I also ate fast food on a very regular basis, wasn't coy about eating junk food, yet naively enough, I felt so long as I exercised regularly, I could help off-set all those calories and get into better shape as a result. My naivete was, of course, wrong. I was lucky to break even on the scale in a given week, and would often times add a pound or two.
Nowadays, while my eating and drinking habits are by no means perfect, I've learned that one's diet is the most important ingredient to being healthy and staying in shape (or getting into better shape). I never drink soda anymore, unless it's a Friday night and Jack Daniels is involved. I eat fast food maybe once every month on average. I rarely eat junk food and when I do, it's a few pretzels, crackers, or some cereal, as opposed to a bag of popcorn or potato chips. I rarely eat fried food. There are, of course, exceptions. If I'm at a birthday party, I may have a small piece of cake. If I'm out of town, I may be bad and eat some fries or some fried bar food. However, those are all rare occasions, and that's one of the most important things I've learned over these past 5 years as far as my lifestyle change goes - it's all about moderation. When some people hear the word "diet," they immediately think gone are the days of any kinds of guilty fatty pleasures. That doesn't have to be the case, though. One doesn't have to completely abstain from such foods and drinks. They simply have to limit them.
The big problem for most people it seems, as it was for me 5+ years ago, is finding the will, the determination to moderate one's consumption of bad foods and drinks. For those whom have that difficulty, I'm finding myself more and more repulsed by such habits. It's one thing to drink a can of pop or a bottle of beer every now and again and quite another to drink 5-6 on a daily basis. It's one thing to eat greasy, fatty food every once in a while and quite another to consume such food every day.
I just wish people would care more about their health and well-being. Granted, it took me 27 years to truly take control of that realm of my life, yet 5 years into my lifestyle change, I feel good and don't think I'll ever go back to the awful habits of my past. To be perfectly honest, the alterations I made in my diet and exercise routine weren't that difficult for me. I cut myself off from pop and Gatorade without any weening, went straight to water, and lost 5 lbs. in one week. Not only did I lose weight, but I felt healthier and more confident. Fried food, junk food, fast food, soda pop, and alcohol are such energy-drainers, they make it especially difficult to find the will and strength to get off one's butt and exercise. When drinking water and straying away (for the most part) from those before-mentioned foods, it's much easier for a person to be consistently productive both at work and away from work.
I sincerely hope this country starts eating (and drinking) better and becoming more active. As I've come to learn, not only do poor eating and drinking habits negatively affect us from a physical health standpoint, but they also negatively affect us mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and even sexually as well.
Perhaps it's largely due to the fact that I used have horrendous eating and drinking habits 5+ years ago. About 10 years ago, I drank a great quantity of soda. Following some cavities due to that great soda consumption, I switched to Gatorade and that wasn't much better. I also ate fast food on a very regular basis, wasn't coy about eating junk food, yet naively enough, I felt so long as I exercised regularly, I could help off-set all those calories and get into better shape as a result. My naivete was, of course, wrong. I was lucky to break even on the scale in a given week, and would often times add a pound or two.
Nowadays, while my eating and drinking habits are by no means perfect, I've learned that one's diet is the most important ingredient to being healthy and staying in shape (or getting into better shape). I never drink soda anymore, unless it's a Friday night and Jack Daniels is involved. I eat fast food maybe once every month on average. I rarely eat junk food and when I do, it's a few pretzels, crackers, or some cereal, as opposed to a bag of popcorn or potato chips. I rarely eat fried food. There are, of course, exceptions. If I'm at a birthday party, I may have a small piece of cake. If I'm out of town, I may be bad and eat some fries or some fried bar food. However, those are all rare occasions, and that's one of the most important things I've learned over these past 5 years as far as my lifestyle change goes - it's all about moderation. When some people hear the word "diet," they immediately think gone are the days of any kinds of guilty fatty pleasures. That doesn't have to be the case, though. One doesn't have to completely abstain from such foods and drinks. They simply have to limit them.
The big problem for most people it seems, as it was for me 5+ years ago, is finding the will, the determination to moderate one's consumption of bad foods and drinks. For those whom have that difficulty, I'm finding myself more and more repulsed by such habits. It's one thing to drink a can of pop or a bottle of beer every now and again and quite another to drink 5-6 on a daily basis. It's one thing to eat greasy, fatty food every once in a while and quite another to consume such food every day.
I just wish people would care more about their health and well-being. Granted, it took me 27 years to truly take control of that realm of my life, yet 5 years into my lifestyle change, I feel good and don't think I'll ever go back to the awful habits of my past. To be perfectly honest, the alterations I made in my diet and exercise routine weren't that difficult for me. I cut myself off from pop and Gatorade without any weening, went straight to water, and lost 5 lbs. in one week. Not only did I lose weight, but I felt healthier and more confident. Fried food, junk food, fast food, soda pop, and alcohol are such energy-drainers, they make it especially difficult to find the will and strength to get off one's butt and exercise. When drinking water and straying away (for the most part) from those before-mentioned foods, it's much easier for a person to be consistently productive both at work and away from work.
I sincerely hope this country starts eating (and drinking) better and becoming more active. As I've come to learn, not only do poor eating and drinking habits negatively affect us from a physical health standpoint, but they also negatively affect us mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and even sexually as well.
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