Yesterday, I thought of food in a whole new way and after stepping on the scale today, I have had a revelation!
Yesterday, I took my daughter (3) to McDonald's to play. I wanted so badly to have my usual standby (Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese and a Large French Fry), but instead I resisted! Why? Because it just wasn't worth the $60+ it would have cost me (by losing both my dietbets)!!! Thinking like this is totally new to me!!!! In resisting, I stepped on the scale today to find that I lost 3.8 lbs. today!!!! This pretty much secures one of my dietbets as a win and pushes me further toward winning my other dietbet! I am super-excited about this!
It got me to thinking, though, what is the true cost of what we eat? Sure we are going to lose our dietbet money if we don't make our percentage goal because we ate that (so $60 for me), but there is also the cost of the food ($7....it is McDonald's after all), but what does it cost us in insulin, medication, Doctor visits....what is the cost/impact on our health???? Was my Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese and Large fry worth $60+...NO! I would never pay that much! Let's face it, the food doesn't always taste the best either, yet we still eat it! Ugh! (No wonder I am where I am.) When you add up all the other costs, is ANY meal worth that? Likely, not!
I am going to take this lesson with me in the future and constantly ask myself: Would I pay $60 + for this meal (with cost of meds and dr. visits this number is way higher)? I am pretty sure I was constantly be saying no!
But, we also pay a cost on our health in other ways. Loss of ability, flexibility, excess inflamation and pain! None of which is really worth it when you give food this much thought! I have never given food this much thought before! The really crazy thing is that I LOVE healthy food! I like it's taste, flavor, texture! I love to play with my food, experiment, come up with my own variations and recipes! So, why eat the crap that is out there? Easy! Convenience! Yep! That is what happens in our household, we swing through the drive-thru because we are hungry, tired, and did not prep ahead for our day of running! Now, I know better! Now, I prep! It isn't just my health that this affects, remember that 3 year old? It affects her health too and my husbands! I am teaching her how to eat at EVERY meal! While McDonald's is a nice treat once in awhile, that is where it should stay, once in awhile!
Lesson learned!