The battle of the bulge all comes down to choice. It’s not a matter of good versus evil or even will power. It’s a matter of simply choosing. This or that. This… but not that. This and that. So it goes around and around in a never ending cycle.

I was a famous weight loss procrastinator. Why do today what you can put off for tomorrow, right? My life as far as dieting and weight loss was concerned was always wrapped up in four little words: I’ll do it tomorrow or in the later years… “I’ll start tomorrow”. The best day to start a diet? Monday. In my world, Monday was the start of the week and so therefore, the very best day to start a diet. I felt at one time that it was almost sacrilegious to start a diet on a Wednesday (mid-week) or Tuesday (the not-Monday). It’s as if I felt that by starting on Monday– I was giving myself the very best chance possible to make good choices and start the week off right.

What I didn’t realize back then? Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and so on … were all the same. Another day of making bad choices and convincing myself that the following Monday things would change. They would be different. I would be different. But years worth of Mondays flew by and the number of pounds to lose increased. Monday wasn’t my only excuse. I also had an excuse lined up for holidays, birthdays, weddings, funerals, exams, graduation, life. The excuses didn’t stop. Until one day they did.

One day, I decided to choose differently. And I did. At first I made a small change– walking every night and cutting out fast food and excessive bread. Once I had that routine down pat and my confidence grew, I ventured into other things (bike riding — traveling). I had finally come to a point where I felt good making the right choice. The sacrifice didn’t seem like such a sacrifice. A half hour to an hour out of my day didn’t seem like so much time. It was ME time. As I continued to pursue better health and a better life, the pounds fell away. People complimented me… noticed me. The world around me seemed brighter. I was the happiest I had ever been. I felt empowered.

I lost 60-70 pounds that summer. It was the best summer of my life.

Going through this journey a second time I find myself taking time to enjoy every little milestone. Do I want to choose better and eat healthy for the rest of my life? Do I want to get an hour of exercise a day? Do I want to stretch in the morning and drink green tea to start out my day? You betcha. Because living life making good choices and trying to improve the overall quality of my life IS important to me. I don’t want to spend another moment… hating myself and then punishing myself by making bad choices.

Living life and feeling good about yourself is not up to destiny. It’s a choice.

This summer has been a success for me in the foods category. I ripped off my hesitation cloak and embraced finding new foods that were both filling and nutritious! I can say that with the help of the grill I had quite a few tasty treats this summer!

My 10 fantastic food finds for the summer:

1. Sweet potatoes

I was never much of a lasting fan of sweet potatoes. I would eat them at Thanksgiving in an obligatory way and then not touch them again until Thanksgiving the following year. However, after this summer… I have a whole new perspective on sweet potatoes! Best way to make them? Par boil them and cut them into fat fries. Sprinkle lightly with olive oil and sea salt and then grill them! They are fantabulous for sure!

2. Spinach

The only way my dad could get me to eat spinach back in the day was to tell me that it was Popeye’s favorite treat. It was only then that I would grudgingly eat spinach. HOWEVER, this summer– I started buying freshly washed, already cut baby spinach. I would add it to salads, sandwiches and eat it just because! Now, I cannot imagine my fridge without it!

3. Jalapenos

I used to like jalapenos and then I didn’t for the longest time. And now? I grew jalapenos in my garden this summer and found mad love for them all over again! Garden grown jalapenos pack heat and bring delicious flavor! It’s a great added veggie to any dish that requires a little kick! Last seen: In my husband’s chili, which we ate on Saturday night!

4. Red Onions

I have always considered myself a sweet vidalia girl. Sweet vidalias are sweet and oniony and well… just plain good. However, after this summer — they have stiff competition! Meet red onion. Red onion is sweet and mild in flavor. It has considerably less carbs than its yellow counterpart. It adds color and flavor to any dish

5. Carrots

Like Kelloggs Cornflakes I had to taste them again for the first time. Dip them in hummus or eat them plain — carrots are simply delish!

6. Albacore Tuna Fish

At one point, I loved tuna fish and then I didn’t. I craved it all throughout my second pregnancy (maybe because I couldn’t have it?) and then after I gave birth… the craving died down. I gave it a second whirl and found that it went very well in a spinach salad or on whole wheat bread! Now… I am a fan again!

7. Blueberries

Put these little blue balls of heaven into a bowl with skim milk and light sugar on top and you have a breakfast for champions!

8. Tomatoes

Until my garden, I had been avoiding tomatoes like the plague. But… garden grown tomatoes have been proven to be a big hit at dinner time! Everyone loves them including me!

9. Avocado

I have always loved avocado and would eat it if someone prepared it for me, but really didn’t develop a taste for them until this summer. Now, grocery shopping isn’t complete without adding a bag of avocados in the cart! Eat them in homemade guacamole or slice them up and put them on a sandwich. They are fantabulous either way!

10. Miniature Red Potatoes

Sprinkle them with a little olive oil, seasoning and then wrap them in tinfoil and throw them on the grill. The potatoes might be small — but the flavor is big enough to leave you feeling satisfied.

In addition to the wonderful food finds… I also found a wonderful fashion/workout find in the name of mbt shoes!! have you seen them? They help tone your leg muscles and give you better posture! I feel straighter after I walk in them!

Those are my fantastic summer food finds. What were yours?

I read an insanely riveting post by Bobbie over at Anonymous Fat Girl and I came to this conclusion about obesity from her post: obesity steals. Obesity steals from us. It robs us of self-respect and dignity. It robs us of fluid movement and “feeling good” about ourselves. Human beings are meant to move. Our bodies are built to run, jump and play. Yet… being obese doesn’t allow for that.

When I think about my own struggles with obesity… I think of how I allowed myself to get this big. I self-medicated with food. I abused it. And as a result, I lived everyday in punishment of that abuse. Every overindulgence left me physically full but feeling empty. The truth is… I could blame it on processed foods, white sugar, high fructose corn syrup and fast food moguls. It is true that those things are made readily available. But in reality… it all boils down to choice. Fresh veggies, fruits, lean meats and unprocessed foods were always available and affordable. I just chose differently.

I was cleaning out the van the other day and found an old McDonald’s french fry completely intact. In fact, so intact that it appeared fresh and unblemished. There’s something wrong with food if it doesn’t naturally decompose as food is supposed to. And I think to myself…. “I was putting THIS in my body? I was allowing my children to eat THIS?”

Somehow the light bulb continues to get brighter and brighter as I discover all of the ways I was ruining my body with food. My body is a temple… and I had been treating it like a brothel. That’s what obesity does. That is the face of obesity.

So tell me… what has obesity stolen from you?

PS I really encourage those of you who visit my blog to head on over to Bobbie’s blog: Anonymous Fat Girl. She is a wealth of inspiration! When I find myself needing to add more fuel to my fire in the fight against obesity… I go over there and read her blog.