Fat as Hell…

I ran across this article on another blog and it got me thinking about the ways in which we measure success. I don’t know about you, but recently, I’ve been living (and dying) by the scale — weighing every day and judging my success entirely on whatever number appeared that morning. Don’t get me wrong… I haven’t stopped wanting and needing to lose weight. I’m just also coming to terms with the fact that there are other ways to measure my success. To that end, I think I need to set some non-weight related goals for myself and I think I need to start being equally proud of meeting them as I am when I take off a pound or two. After all, if I’m really being honest when I say that this is about more than losing weight, that it’s about making the whole me healthy, than I need to start placing a higher value on things other than the number on the scale.Anyway, the article provides a checklist of sorts: a list of nutritional habits that help contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Here they are and my own assessment of how well I think I am doing at achieving each:

• Don’t skip meals; plan for three meals each day: Hmmmm. I give myself a C+/B- on this. I often find it difficult not to skip breakfast and, sometimes, if I feel really guilty about the day before, I find it very tempting to fast.
• Start reading food labels so you’ll become more aware of what you’re putting into your body: I give myself an A- in this category. I’ve become really good about reading the labels and checking the nutritional facts of restaurants before I go out so that I enter armed with info to help me make good choices. Of course, that doesn’t always mean that I make them. :)
• Plan for healthier snack choices at work: A+ here. I don’t snack much at work, but I make sure my lunch contains healthy finger type foods so if I *want* a snack, I can take it out of my own lunch and avoid the pitfalls of the vending machine. In fact, since I started this job in August, I haven’t had a single item out of the dreaded vending machine. Go me!
• Between lunch and dinner each day, aim for five servings of fruits and vegetables: This is a category where I definitely need more work. I adore veggies, but I have to force myself to eat fruit. I have been getting at least an apple in each day, but I’m not doing well beyond that. I give myself a C in this category.
• Stop adding salt to foods: A+ here. I never reach for the salt shaker anymore.
• Eat nothing after 8 p.m. A- in this category. I usually do a pretty good job of eating early. I realized a long time ago that eating late had contributed to my downfall.
• Try a new food each week, to help you introduce more variety into your diet: I’m tempted to give myself an F in this category. I really need to branch out.
• Eat less meat to reduce your fat and cholesterol intake: I’m working on this, but I still have a ways to go. The meat isn’t that much of a problem. I’m eating a lot more fish and poultry and very little red meat, but I still take in more fat than I’d like. However, I’m learning the difference between healthy and unhealthy fats and trying to, at least, tip the scales so that I am taking in more of the former than the latter. There’s room for improvement here, however. B-
• Make sure that your breads, cereals, pastas, and crackers are made with whole grains: I’m working on this too, but still have a ways to go. For me, this is one of the hardest ones. Frankly, I’m not eating a lot of starches right now, but I do when I do, I am not always good about making sure that they are made of whole grains. I definitely need to work on this. Grade C here.

The further along I travel on this journey the more I am reminded that this is not just about losing weight. This is about changing my whole life. When I set out to do this, I told myself, and meant it, that I would never, ever refer to this as a diet. I am not on a diet. I am turning my life around and living in a new way. By concentrating so solely on what the scale says recently I’ve done myself a disservice. I am more than just that number and the way I measure success must be based on more too. By looking at things like this nutritional checklist, I get a more complete look at the bigger picture. This coupled with keeping track of my progress not just as an eater, but as an exerciser, a thinker, a breather, a lover, a worker, a reader, a writer, a blogger, and all the other things that I am, can only help me as I attempt to make all aspects of my life better.