The Importance of Enjoyment

In this journey to living a healthier life, it's important to enjoy it. Changing my eating habits isn't about putting myself into a prison, locking the door, throwing away the keys and then living on bread, water and overcooked vegetables for the rest of my life and being forced to do 5,000 situps a day. It's about finding enjoyment and pleasure in the healthy choices.

Yesterday I started phase 2 of the South Beach diet, and began adding a slice of sprouted whole grain toast to my breakfasts.

I love sprouted whole grain bread because it has a dense, slightly rough texture and a very nutty flavor. Toasting it enhances the nuttiness of the grains, and I eat it slowly, savoring each bite. It also smells really good when it's toasted. It's a wonderful sensory experience.

Another food I really enjoy is cucumber. I slice them into strip and have them as part of my snacks. The crisp cool sweetness is refreshing, and I feel healthier eating it.

It's important when changing your eating habits to choose foods you enjoy. If you're eating food you can't stand, you won't succeed. Make healthy choices and savor them, eating slowly, taking time to enjoy the aromas. Use new seasonings, try new vegetables and fruits, wander the health food section of your favorite grocery store or visit a local natural foods co-op and try something new.

Finding an exercise that you enjoy is also important. Again, if you're forcing yourself to do something that you don't like to do and that feels like hard labor, you'll end up quitting.

I enjoy walking. I love to be outdoors and to see the beautiful homes around my neighborhood. I live in a charming older neighborhood, not expensive, but with lots of cute homes. Seeing the different styles and landscaping is fun, and I also enjoy looking for neighborhood cats sleeping on porches, sitting in little nooks and crannies and lounging in odd little corners observing the world.

Sometimes I meet up with friends and we walk around one of the oldest and prettiest parks in Sacramento - McKinley Park. We laugh and chat, all the while enjoying the green grass, the beautiful trees, other people laughing, jogging, walking, playing tennis, all the things people do at parks. We walk by a beautiful rose garden (the site for many outdoor weddings) as well as a pond surrounding a small lush island where the ducks and geese congregate.

Being able to enjoy the walk keeps me motivated to continue and to stick with it. I look forward to those afternoons with friends, taking in the fresh air and lovely neighborhood.

If you'd prefer to stay inside and work out, join Netflix and try out different workout DVDs until you find one or two you really enjoy, then go buy them...and use them regularly :)

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose