I will never be "done"

TOP: LULU LEMON C/O TROLLEY SQUARE
BOTTOMS: C/O KOHL'S
BRACELETS: ALEX AND ANI

For the last three years I have struggled with gaining and losing weight back and forth. I have blogged about this many times. For me, weight has always just been an indicator of how healthy I am being. While I want to look good, I care more about how healthy I am. Even if I looked good in my clothes, losing and gaining the same 10-15 pounds back and forth is not healthy.

Growing up my parents always fed us very balanced meals. I didn't even have to think about it, good food was just given to me. We hardly ate out, and soda or candy was literally a treat, only being enjoyed a few times a month for a family movie night or birthday party. I was the epitome of health; eating right, and extremely athletic, playing up to three sports a year! Going off to college and making my own meals I felt like I could do whatever I wanted. Considering I was still young and very active, this didn't really affect me much. But that behavior was obviously not going to last forever, and eventually caught up with me.

I am an extremist, eating incredibly healthy, or completely falling off the bandwagon. This summer I feel like I hit my low in regards to my health. I started the year off great, losing thirteen pounds. But once I hit a good "goal weight," I fell into those same patterns of "Alright, I am good, I am done." The rest of the summer I just had a hay day enjoying myself. One night while out of town I became extremely sick. It was a very painful night, and I realized it was because of my poor nutrition choices. My body was done. Over it. I remember thinking, this is because of YOU. It was such a low point for me. The pain lasted for hours, and while I won't go into all the gory details, it was an extremely painful but effective lesson. I realized that I needed to make a change, a big one.
I learned that You. Are. Never. Done. giving your body what it needs. While food can be an enjoyable thing, ultimately it is our fuel. I wasn't giving my body what it needed to thrive, let alone live comfortably. I know that balance is the key, but finding a way to implement it in a lasting way over the years has been a challenge. This is the time of year where I usually pack on the weight, and I want to make sure this year is different. I guess I am trying to start a new years resolution now, kind of get a jump start to January? Like I mentioned before, I have never really had a problem staying active, but I want to make sure I continue that as well as start making better choices in regards to my diet. Has anyone else found some "secret" to maintaining the balance for the long haul? I have started to take note as to when and why I over eat and eat something really unhealthy back to back, I figured that is a good place to start? BAH!
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