Olympia Nutrition Consultant Finds Sweetness Beyond The Chocolate Bar

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Submitted by Lacy Waltermeyer

Celebrating success can be a delicious meal cooked with friends.

You started 2013 determined to live healthier.  You swore off the bad foods and filled your fridge with chicken and vegetables.   Has your original goal lost some of its appeal?  Have you found yourself limiting what you are doing to avoid being around forbidden foods?  Are you starting to question why you really wanted to be healthier in the first place?  Was it to be healthier or did you equate healthier with happier? Are you now wondering how depriving yourself of the things you love will make you happier?  If you are having any of these thoughts it might be time to look past the chicken and vegetables and even past the chocolate bar and into what you are really craving.   Is the craving for the sweetness of the junk food or is it the sweetness of life?

I recently had a client who had an amazing two week jump start to her newly desired health goals.  I was so impressed with how quickly her body responded to the changes we had implemented.  She not only saw changes on the scale but in muscle gain, mood improvement, increased energy, and reduced cravings.  Her progress was impressive and I let her know she was doing a great job in creating her new lifestyle.  I even went as far as to encourage her to go celebrate!  The look on her face was if I’d told her she was a failure.  She was mortified and frustrated I’d even suggest such a thing.  How could the person who was supposed to be her biggest supporter of her new choices tell her to go eat junk food?  WHAT…. Wait no that’s not what I said.  I said go celebrate but to her the only way to celebrate was with food.

A fun run with the kids is a super way to add sweetness to your life.

Yes I recognize that food is one of the ways that we celebrate.  Obviously birthday cake and champagne are clearly tied to celebration but I question when food became our only way to celebrate.  Thanksgiving is about sharing, gratitude, and bringing community together through food.  Is the only way we can conjure those feelings during a Thanksgiving feast?  Could we generate those feelings over creating a healthy dish with friends? What about life’s other joys?  Have we gotten so busy and disconnected that we’ve forgotten how to find sweetness in anything but sugar?

Is it possible that our cravings for sugar could actually be cravings for increased sweetness in our life?   Have you ever thought I just need a glass of wine, a chocolate bar, a mocha, or a dessert that will make it all better? What if we sought our sweetness in other areas rather than food? What if we really looked at what we find sweet in our life.  For some it’s getting outside.  For others it a comfy chair and a great book.

My challenge to you is to find your sweetness in life in areas than sugary foods.  Here are some ideas to get you started.

Add adventure in your life.  This spring try Northwest Trek’s super cool Zip Wild Courses.  With four different skill level courses, suited for people over age six, get your adrenaline going and enjoy beautiful views of amazing forests and animal habitat.

Adding adventure to your life, such as the ropes course at NW Trek, is one way to find sweetness in your life.

Try something new that you believe is outside you limits.  The Capital City Marathon is in your own backyard.  The race includes a half-marathon,  five-mile and even a kids run option.  Tie up those shoes and see what you can really do.

Meet new friends.  One that I plan to try is the Olympia Hiking Meetup Group.  The organization advertises themselves as a friendly group of South Sounders who are looking to expand their circle of friends while going to new places and exploring events in other areas of Puget Sound hiking, snowshoeing, biking and kayaking

Get back to basics.  Visit a local farm.  One of my personal favorites is The Farmstead and even when I can’t physically make it to the farm I can follow their blog and keep updated on the animals, outstanding photos and the farm happenings.

These are just a handful of ideas to get you started.  Give yourself the time to connect with what sweetness you’d like to experience more of in 2013. I know you’ll find it more satisfying than any chocolate bar ever was.

Eat Well~Move Well~Live Well

To learn more about Lacy Waltermeyer and her nutrition consulting business, click here.

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