Okay, it is not exactly the title you would hope to find on January 2 from a Wellness/Nutrition Consultant!  Well, I did not plan this either. It’s called real life.  I wake up on the beautiful Sunday morning to the smell of cinnamon rolls–yikes! I suddenly remember my husband slipped them in the cart yesterday. I found them at checkout and questioned how they landed in my cart. He said they “jumped off the shelf into the cart” because he “didn’t do it”. I do love his sense of humor.

However, it makes for a perfect segue for us to transition back into the real world tomorrow. Statistically, around 45% are making commitments to eat better and exercise more or both. Piece of cake (or cinnamon roll), right? Okay, bad metaphor.

First of all, we all have to deal with temptations in the real world. If our spouses and grown children are not always on the same program, that is not an excuse for us to make poor choices. That seems to be the number one excuse people use as to why they can’t eat healthy. I often hear that “my spouse brings home junk food” or “my kids won’t eat that”.

Zig Ziglar said it so well, “For 24 years of my adult life, by choice I weighed well over 200 lbs. I say by choice because you see I have never accidentally eaten anything.”

I didn’t eat the cinnamon roll. Was I tempted? Yes. But I remember the commitment I have to myself and my body. I remind myself how bad I will feel after eating it and that the so called pleasure of the moment of eating it will not outweigh the damage to my body. I also know that sugar is much like a drug, highly addictive and eating it will disrupt my blood sugar levels for the entire day.   I remind myself of the mental aspect and dealing with the guilt of caving in–not being true to my word or commitment. It really isn’t worth ruining my day.

Yes, everything in moderation but for most it works best to make that 100% commitment. Think about your physician, surgeon, nurse, pilot and air traffic controller. What if they had a 90% or 95% commitment mindset? Having that wavering mindset can wear you out when you are in constant battle. 100% commitment is a breeze!