I hate to say it,...BUT

According to this report, the government has finally made a decisive and positive step towards reconfiguring the "Food Pyramid" and for the folks who are blind followers this may be the first step on the road to decreased obesity and healthier lifestyles in the US. How many times have you been in public and been absolutely awestruck by the magnitude of an ass, belly or bosom?? For me, it doesn't happen rarely enough. Coming from generations of weight-challenged and obese relatives, I have been hyper-conscious of my health, weight and fitness. At times I have been obsessive, and at others adopted a manner of blissful unawareness; and I must say that my body has suffered in each instance.

I note in this article that not only are refined grains relegated to the "Don't Eat" list, but that the words "moderation" and "balance" are emphasized. YEA!!! HOORAH!! Nobody wants to go on the bean diet just to lose that extra 100#'s of gut...regardless of the fact that is asking just too much of the average American. So here's the governemental endorsement to kick just one measley item off your daily intake...white bread (Boo, thumbs down to refined grains!). You'd be amazed what cutting out bread does to your waistline, butt, and multiple chin.

Don't get me wrong...butter tortillas rock my world, a smoked turkey sandwich on sourdough is heavenly, and I do love my vices (glug,glug, puff,puff) - just not EVERY day, EVERY meal. When did eating become the center of our universe?? We structure everything around consuming: "Hey, let's do lunch!" "Why don't we discuss it over dinner?" "What did YOU have for breakfast?"...and so on. It's apparent that we as a culture have adopted eating as our backdrop for everything from casual socializing to executive decisions. When was the last time you heard someone suggest, "Hey, let's meet at the gym and discuss it there." "Take a walk with me, I'd like to know more about you." or "Let's take a 10 minute calisthenics break."

I've been an unconventional eater and exerciser for some time now and as such am used to the queer looks and snide queries, but I feel good. Walking outside the lines can be lonely and uncomfortable, but you do it long enough and people start to look and point. Then suddenly they want to know what's going on over there. And, hopefully, you can drag a few over and they can discover for themselves. After all, isn't it about self discovery and feeling good?!