why i broke up with ben & jerry

I’m a loser and proud of it!  Here’s my story

The madness had to stop.  Would you believe that I could (if I wanted to) eat a whole pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in one sitting?  yep…it’s true! It doesn’t matter which flavor is my favorite, I could be happy with whatever my kids brought home from the store.  My snacks throughout the day consist of a handfuls of cheese crackers or some pretzels and Allouette cheese spread.  Every Friday night was pizza.  You know what that meant right?  If you know me really well you know that cold pizza is my favorite breakfast food, so of course it’s cold pizza every Saturday morning.  Late night snack was typically a bowl of cereal.

Can you see a common thread?

Hi my name is Cindi and I’m a “CARBAHOLIC”

It’s probably not a shock to you that I’ve put on some weight and my energy level is very low.  A daily nap is not uncommon for me.  I’m tired of the way my clothes fit and I absolutely loathe shopping for any type of clothing.  Am I obese?  No.  But fluffy is a good term.  I’m still curvy but…that’s not always a great thing, if ya KWIM.  🙂 Let’s just say I could fall forward if I didn’t have equal weight on the back side.

Why am I sharing this for everyone to see?  I mean anyone who might accidentally stumble across my blog might get the wrong impression, what does this blogger’s weight have to do with rust, gardening, crosses and flea marketing?  Good question and the answer is simple.  My blog, my faith, my art, my online business, my lust for rust,  passion for gardening and find awesome junk at flea markets defines me and is as much a part of my lifestyle as my eating habits.

Well I don’t want to be defined by the foods I eat or at least I don’t want my body and energy levels to be defined by the wrong kind of food.

I’m looking to redefine my shape, boost my energy level and reclaim my health and take responsibility for the way I look and feel.  To be clear this is 70% motivation to feel better and have more energy, 30% motivation to look better.

So why now?

I’m not getting younger

This is a fact!  I’m 51 years old and time will keep ticking away weather I like it or not.  I’m not too hung up on the age thing, I have much to look forward too and I love life.  God gave me this life and this body, a wonderful husband, five kids and so far “ten” grandchildren.  I want to see great grand children eventually, so getting older is fine, I just want to be able to keep up with them!

Quality of life is important to me

Not only do I want to keep up with my grandchildren and great grandchildren one day…I also don’t want to be a burden to my children or my husband.  I want to be healthy in my later years, so I can be an example to my children.  Carrying excess weight is hard on the joints and can put stress on organs.  Health issues such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure can also be caused by excess weight.

Breaking habits

Hard to do right?   Anyone would agree, but it all begins with a decision to make changes.  Making changes in my habits  is not hard for me, but what about my family.  I can’t exactly ask them to make some of the changes I do…can I?  To some degree, yes I can.  I am the chef so it is up to me to create healthy meals for me and my family.

Making better choices

It all comes down to choice doesn’t it.  Here’s what helps me make better choices.  I rarely if ever eat fast foods.  In all fairness I realize this is difficult for a lot of people though.  I work from home, so my food choices are as healthy as what I buy from the store.  It’s easy for me, I just get up and go to my kitchen to grab my lunch and snacks…healthy ones of course.  People’s schedules are crazy these days and it’s hard to resist that temptation to just run through a drive thru for some grub.  But planning is key to make this change.  Plan lunch menus if this makes it easier, shop for the menu and make the choice to take your lunch and resist the urge to run out and grab a burger.  Let me just say; I love hamburgers, some times I crave them…but I know there are better choices because most of the time, if I get a burger then I get the fries and the soda to go with it.  Hamburger…not so bad, all the extras…yeah that’s the problem.

Another trick I use, I only shop the perimeter of the grocery store.  Fresh fruits and veggies, meat and some grains.  Think about it, all the processed and easy to grab and eat items are in the middle of the store.  Especially the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.  It’s right smack in the center!!!   Think “out of the box” really…buy nothing in a box. Yes, I know this means a little bit more work at planning meals and it could mean more frequent trips to the store, but it will become a routine after awhile.  Again, this is what helps me make better choices in what I eat.

Partnering up

Having others with you in this journey is essential, again this is just my two cents.  That is why I’ve partnered up with Donna over at Funky Junk Interiors and I am now an official “Junk Loser”!  You can read the how and why about her story here.  While you’re there, leave a comment and grab a button. Oh!  and there is now a Junk Loser facebook page for you to join and share your story, trials, successes, recipes and more.  Find accountability, encourage and be encouraged.

Encouragement, Accountability, Resposibility

Another reason to share this with you is because I want to encourage you to make changes if you want to.  Have you been thinking you need to make some changes but just can’t get motivated?  Yep, me too.  But I want to encourage you to take that first step just like Donna encouraged me.  Accountability is important for me to stay on the path.  Now that I’ve put this out here for all to see, I’m accountable to myself and to my family, friends and readers.  Will I slip?  Yep. I will…but now I have friends to help me up and I will come along side them and you to do the same.  Responsibility comes with blogging, again this is just my opinion, but if I get to have all the fun in owning and writing a blog then there is a some responsibility that comes with it.  I’m talking about being an example to others, not a picture of perfection, because I’m not perfect and I don’t know everything.  But I do know that for me it’s time to make some changes.  My blog is my place where I share a part of me.  Well, if I share part then I need to be honest and share my struggles as well as my passions in my life.

There you have it…I’ve made the decision to break up with Ben & Jerry and move on to healthier pastures!

I love you B & J but I cannot control myself around you and that’s not good for me.

How about it…wanna join me and become a “Junk Loser”?

If not will you encourage me to hang in there…I need that 🙂

Blessings,