Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Turning on the Fire

I love a bowl of hot, old fashioned rolled oats cooked on the stove.  So this morning I went through my usual routine:  measure the water, put in a few raisins, put it on the stove.  It usually takes a few  minutes for the water to begin to boil so I sat down at the kitchen table to read a bit while I waited.

At what seemed the appropriate amount of waiting, I went back to the stove to add the oats, but the water wasn't boiling.  The raisins, instead of doing their little, "Oooh, it's hot in here!" dance, were just sitting in the water.  That was when I realized that I hadn't turned on the fire under the pan.

Duh.

I laughed and said to myself, "If I want to eat this today, I'd better turn on the fire."  My big little boo-boo made me think about past times I've tried to lose weight without "turning on the fire."  I would buy books about weight loss but I wouldn't read them.  I would join programs but I wouldn't really follow them.  I would buy exercise videos but I wouldn't even take off the shrink wrap, much less watch and do them!

I've come to understand that successful weight loss doesn't require an inferno of enthusiasm, determination and all-or-nothing dedication.  What it does take is turning on the fire.  A low setting is fine.  Be willing to make healthy food choices Today.  Try to move a bit more Today.  Work on learning a little something new Today.  Take the shrink wrap off the exercise DVD and put it in the player...Today.  Pretty soon you realize...you're cookin'!

Hugs.

1 comment:

  1. Hi Cindy,

    Here's to insights...Today! I love this. And you!

    Love,
    Your sister

    ReplyDelete

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