So, this is it!

Well, I've wanted a blog that was meaningful to me for a long time but never could quite find a good reason to start one. Seeing that tomorrow is the first day of 2010, the time to begin could never be better. My husband and I have decided that we have to leave our bad eating habits behind and start fueling our bodies with premium foods instead of the junk we've been ingesting over the past few years. No, this isn't your typical "I'm-going-on-a-diet-only-to-fall-off-in-2-weeks" type of New Year's Resolution. This is the beginning of a lifelong change in eating habits, nutrition, and fitness.

We've tried Weight Watcher's and know that the program works if you work the program. Who has time these days to actually "work the program"?! I know that between raising a 4 year old boy, working full time, having a 2-hour a day commute, keeping the household together, and making sure my husband feels loved, I do not have time to count points, calories, or anything else. There is no room in my busy life to work a "program".

I've recently been reading many books trying to find something that gives me new ideas and inspiration. I came across Tosca Reno's Eating Clean book and loved it. It is simple, easy to read, and has beautiful photos. I also find it inspiring that Tosca once weighed over 200 pounds but has since lost all the extra weight and is now healthy and fit. I like that the Eating Clean plan is simple and easy to follow. Basically, if the food you are eating didn't have a mother or come from the Earth - it ISN'T clean. Easy enough. The key to succeeding is planning ahead and ensuring you eat 5 - 6 small nutritious meals a day. Each meal needs to have a lean protein and a complex carb. Fruits, veggies, and whole grains are all part of the equation. I like that idea!

That takes care of the nutrition part of the equation. The second book, which I find even more inspiring is called "Never Say Diet" by Chantel Hobbs. This is a woman whom I relate very closely to. She's a young mother who just LOVED food. She wasn't emotionally lacking which caused her to turn to food for comfort, rather she just adored food and found great pleasure in it. Well, this is me to a T. Chocolate - check. Cakes and lots of sugar - check. Fatty coffee drinks and fast food - check. Candy bars - check. When I take a personal inventory of the junk I am putting into my body just because it tastes good, I feel massively ashamed. Who is this person now and why can't I stop? The answer is easy - because I haven't wanted to. That is, until now.

After reading Chantel's story and her advice on breaking old habits, I found the inspiration from within to commit to a life change. Chantel's approach is very similar to Tosca's. Have a positive mind set, make small achievable goals, eliminate negative self talk, GET MOVING, and most importantly - EAT CLEAN. This is a life change, not a diet. Yes, I can still have a little cake and some chocolate only now it will be in small amounts less frequently. Will this be hard? Absolutely. But everything good is worth the fight. No pain no gain.

What I look forward to most is instilling good nutritional habits into my 4 year old. I want him to reach for the fruit bowl instead of asking for sugary non-nutritious foods that do nothing but harm him. I also look forward to not being enslaved to food and how happy it makes me. From now on, food is strictly a premium fuel I have to give my body so it will run at its peak performance levels.

Everything that happens as a result of my eating clean will be "icing-on-the-cake" so to speak. I am excited and terrified at the thought of publicly sharing this journey I am on but find it completely necessary. I want to be able to share my successes, my uphill battles, and everything in between. Hopefully this can serve as inspiration to someone walking in my same shoes. I found inspiration from Tosca and Chantel - now I shall try to pay it forward.......

Bon Voyage 2009 - bad eating habits and all. May we never meet again.

Cheers,
Anna