Close your eyes. Imagine you are in a bustling pizzeria in Naples surrounded by vibrant conversations, great red wine, and oh yes, pizza. Whether you remember or not, you have been here before - this the scene from Eat Pray Love where Julia Roberts sums up my life in just eight little words: “I am having a relationship with my food.” I love food, all food, except for pickles, Brussels sprouts and those nasty pork rinds that my mom eats. What are pork rinds, anyone? Strike that, I don’t want to know.
My point is that I need to have balance, in both my physical and financial health worlds. W.E. Deming once said, “If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.” Simple cycle theory. The intent of this blog is to document my attempt and, optimistically speaking, my future success in breaking my cycle of fantastic in the moment, but bloated a few hours later unhealthy habits. Oh don’t play like you don’t know what I am talking about. The yo-yo diet hell which for many of us has included (but is definitely not limited to) counting EVERY tedious calorie, skipping meals only to binge later, the Special K/make you hate cornflakes forever diet, cabbage soup (absolutely horrible idea), and the ever so embarrassing Richard Simmons Sweating to the Oldies tapes. Do you think I could get any money for those on eBay?
We only get one chance at this life, unless you fall within the 20% of the world’s population that believes in reincarnation (which I am not), and our duty is to make the best of it, finding beauty within it. My goal is to accomplish this transformation my way - loving myself, finding beauty throughout, and hopefully helping others as they start their journey. I am not a fitness coach, financial expert or weight loss guru. I am imperfect, at times crude, and really cranky when I don’t get my way. But that is who I am and I would rather be me than an imitation of someone else.
It may seem odd that I am choosing to address my health and wellness as well as financial situation. Well…in the whole of my life, I have a wonderful family, great friends, a job that I like (unfortunately, often too hard to come by these days), and a husband that I both adore and couldn’t live without. Eric – you better read this blog, damn it. If not, someone please tell him I am posting good things in cyberspace. However, after much introspection that of course included a large peppermint java (whole milk and really whipped cream) and coming down off of my holiday shopping bonanza, I realized that these are the two areas in my life that could use a little lot of tweaking. I am not looking to be a supermodel, destined for a certain “ideal weight” or to be a gazillionaire like Oprah and Bill Gates, although then I could hire a chef and personal trainer… I just desire the emotional and spiritual freedom that comes from a more balanced lifestyle.
So, as Ms. Suzie Manuel used to tell Tracy and I in the third grade going around a curve on our mad dash to school in the mornings, “Hold on to your titties!” This is going to a sometimes interesting, sometimes painful, sometimes glorious ride. You don’t want to miss it!
