Get Out of Your Room!!!!

I come from a long line of eaters.  I grew up in a Midwestern home raised by a Jewish mother and father from Brooklyn, NY.  Holidays and visits to my relatives back east consisted of a lot of time debating whether the gefilte was a real fish or not.  These were serious conversations!  Nonetheless, in my adult life, I have come to appreciated my upbringing and carry on that same Spinner zest for food.  


There isn't much I do not like.  If I had to make a New Year's Resolution, and in a post to come this week I'll explain why I refuse to make any.....but IF I HAAAAD to......I'd propose to start liking beets!  Blech!  They are so hard for me to tolerate, but I know the nutritional value they pack.  (Ok.....so I'm going to try to add them to the "good list" this year.)  

My List of Foods I Really.....Really Hate

 Beets.  BLECH!

Key Lime....I don't really mind never liking this.  I love too many other good sweets.

Lima Beans: I should really try to like these, but it's so hard!!!

Tomato Juice:  I really can not envision this fitting into my life.  Good thing I like tomatoes as a solid.

Sweet Potato Disclaimer:  Like the teams that drop out of the Top 25 Polls in college football/basketball, I'm proud to announce that sweet potatoes have officially dropped off my list.  Sorry Jim.  I will no longer commiserate with you about these.  I like them now.

You get the point.  I love food.  I love trying new foods.  I love the texture of foods.  I love to talk about food.  I wish I cooked more, but my wife is such a great cook, I don't do enough of it.  But when I started getting serious....I mean really serious about my health, fitness, and nutrition, I realized that I am no different than anyone else.  However I remember making a choice to branch outside of my comfort zone.  


I'm finishing up a novel on my new Kindle (love that thing by the way!) called Room, by Emma Donoghue.

The story is about a five year old by, Jack, who is trapped inside a "room" with his mother.  I will tell you that eventually they "get out" but you'll want to pick up this book if you want to find out how.  It's told from Jack's perspective and he makes incredible observations about the world and his relationship with his mother.  At one point in the story, Jack talks about how he misses being in "Room"  .  .  . he was much safer there and things were not so complicated.  While I spent a ton of time reflecting on my relationship with my kids when reading, I later thought about how Jack's observation ties in to my relationship with food.  (It's a long leap I realize, but I'm not sure why I later connected the two topics.)


I, like many, used to just like what I liked:  breakfast food, meat, pizza, hamburgers, fast food, and minimal veggies......oh.....and a bagel with lox, cream cheese, onion and capers!).  As I grew up, this changed......slightly (I can hear my mother laughing).  However, in order to really attain the level of health and fitness, I knew I had to branch out and accept other tastes, textures, and flavors which is why I have been so long winded in explaining where I come from and the few amounts of foods I do NOT like. I have become in touch with the fact that I like many different things.  I discovered that.  It's not who I have always been.  It's easier to stick to that "comfort zone" because things are easier in "that room".  However, beets are not in that "room".  Lima beans are most definitely not in that "room".  


My relationship with food is simple.  I'm in love with it.  I want to court food, buy it things, treat it well, and take care of it.  I want to give it a home to live in and I want it to take care of me.  Forever!  I.  LOVE.  FOOD.  But in order for ME to live MY fit life (I'm not trying to sound like Oprah here....sorry.) I know I have to be mindful of all the temptations and pitfalls that plague so many of us. 

Knowing where I come from in relationship to food;  knowing that I like mostly all food;  knowing that I am committed to a life-time of fitness; knowing that it's attainable if you make certain sacrifices; knowing that I want to always know more.........all of this is key in staying on track and never letting myself go physically again. I don't want to ever look like that first picture you see in the My Progress tab.

As much as I loved my room growing up....the safety, security, and peace it brought me.....and as much as I like that quiet room I have right now where I can escape the sibling rivalry of our kids, I know that in order to continue to live my life of fitness.....I must continue to live outside that room.  

I promise......I'm going to keep you posted on my beets.  (blech!)