Musings on YOUR movable middle

I just wrote about “the movable middle” (or moveable – both are right, I link to resources on this in the last blog) in terms of people, conversations, and interactions. One of my dear friends called me and said when he read that title, he was sure I was going to talk about whittling one’s middle, especially during the New Year’s Resolution season.  My response was that he knew me so well and this was also on my mind and that I would be writing about an individual’s middle (and trying to move same) next.

We know the perils of excess weight, from joint discomfort to sleeping troubles to increased risk for many diseases and so on. The perils of being underweight are often less discussed yet also a concern. Know the weight range that maximizes your health.

You want rules? Not really.  What you mean is you want focus. I get you.  Here are three areas to consider to set a true course of action that actually helps get you to your goal.

1. Know your appropriate weight range. Consider height, body type, and overall health. I said range. NOT one number. Bodies fluctuate.  It’s next to impossible to hold an exact number, and it’s not an excuse. It’s a reason.  We’re human.
2. Treat your treats like treats and your special occasion foods like they are special. If you are trying to (only) eat like your favorite character with terrible eating habits in a book, movie, or show, stop. It’s part of the mystique of the story. Do you try to do the Matrix bend for real?

   

   Or perhaps you try to fly like you are from another planet, or climb a wall like a spider? See how silly that is? That being said, I get it. I occasionally eat a Harriet the Spy special (tomato and mayo on bread).  It’s one of my summer treats. That is not my day to day intake and I knowingly choose to eat this (like maybe 3 times in tomato season) and smile about a favorite book from childhood. If I did this all the time, I wouldn’t actually like it. See what I mean? It’s special. It’s not every day.

3. Be you. If you “should” yourself about foods that you hate, it’s not a sustainable plan.  Each food group provides a unique mix of nutrition that we benefit from. We know that there are some foods that are better daily choices than others. Make it your mission to find a new favorite in every food group. It might mean a new way of cooking it. It might mean a smaller portion of the usual if you literally hate everything else. It might mean you swap your sides and other foods that day to make it fit into an overall plan better. Remember that moment in Runaway Bride where she took the time to figure out how she liked her eggs? Do that. For every food group.

Action without a finish line is a pretty silly race to try to run.  Know where your finish line is.  Don’t believe me? If you keep doing the same thing to manage your middle, and aren’t getting where you want, maybe try something new. Give it a whirl and let me know.