Stage 1=Complete

This morning I completed Stage 1 of New Rules. What a great feeling! Unfortunately lifiting on Monday, Wednesday, and today was the only working out I did all week, but the main goal was to complete the first stage. At this point, I still feel good about the program. Exercising without constantly tracking weight loss progress seems to be successful so far.

For the first time in recent memory, I am beginning to feel comfortable in my body, just the way it is at this moment. I don't think the body is changing; it is the mind. It is finally starting to sink in that I am at a healthy weight and don't need to have the abs of a Shape cover model. I am approaching some level of peace with the fact that food will never be only fuel. If a few glasses of wine per week or less-than-perfect dinners are going to stand between me and 115 lbs, then so be it. Finally, I am starting to feel okay with that.

Last weekend I spent some time with my sister-in-law and her sister. All three of us have different body types and all three of us started complaining about those bodies. My sister-in-law, who I think has a fabulous body and wish I could trade with, wishes she could lose a few pounds. Her sister, who I also think looks great, wishes she could gain a few pounds. It occurred to me that so many ladies struggle with finding body happines (or even peace). The conversations we shared over the weekend led to the realization that I absolutely need to stop complaining about my body.

Working out just for the sake of my health (which includes mental health!) is starting to have the purpose I hoped it would. Day by day I'm worrying less about what size my pants are or what the scale says. I'm focusing more on what makes me truly happy. The bread bowl pasta pizza carb bomb that I ate for dinner on Wednesday did not make me happy. On the other hand, the hibachi steak and sushi that my husband and I ate last night was much more enjoyable. It isn't even about the calorie count. For all I know, the hibachi steak meal could have been less healthy and higher in calories. One of these nights involved inhaling too much food in front of the TV and the other involved a night out sharing the company of someone I love.

Over the coming weeks, I want to focus on eating in way that is free from regrets. I wish I had passed on the pasta bread bowl, or at least eaten less of it. It felt like a waste and my gut felt like crap afterwards. But I have no regrets about the burritos and Corona enjoyed on my deck in honor of Cinco de Mayo. It's not about the calories, it really is about the experience.