Who (what) do you love?

I had this epiphany once. (Yep, just once.)

I know these two women, I'll call them Lisa and Stephanie (because those are their names). One is an acquaintance, one is a good friend. They are both slim, fit and very attractive.

Having had the good fortune to have hung out quite a bit with Stephanie in the past before her smarty-pants of a husband got into a school in PA (the nerve of him and all his dang smarty-pants ambition), I've seen her make many smart food choices, say, forgoing the whipped cream on a small frappucino (like, literally scraping it off into the garbage one time when she forgot to tell the barista to leave it off), or refusing the cheese and sour cream on a burrito (and asking for lettuce instead). She's not obsessive, just careful. She enjoys sweets now and again, but she's not an overeater.

Lisa I don't know as well, but I can see that she's in amazing, enviable shape. And nice? She's wonderfully friendly and seems very sweet. I remember we were at a class party one day (our sons were in the same class), and I sat in a tiny chair with my plate heaped with all sorts of yummy food and treats, while she sat nearby with her youngest son and simply watched the party.

One random afternoon, I don't even know why I was thinking of these women, but I remember it was at a time when I was gaining weight again after a recent loss, and it occurred to me that the reason Lisa and Stephanie are both fit and trim (okay, that reminds me of dog food) ... rewrite: ... the reason Lisa and Stephanie are thin and fit is that THEY VALUE THEMSELVES MORE THAN THEY VALUE FOOD. 

It really did strike a chord with me. One of those concepts that is so absurdly simple that you can't figure out why it never occurred to you before.

I obviously value food, since I tend to overindulge and use it for other reasons than keeping me alive. And I simply ignore what my food choices are doing to me and my body.

When Steph declines sour cream, cheese and whipped cream, she knows they are all fattening, and to her the risk of putting on weight isn't worth it. For me and my fat-loving taste buds, I just want to be in the moment and enjoy the salty cheesiness, creamy sourness and rich sweetness, fat be damned.

But look at the payoff. Steph and Lisa get to enjoy wearing what they like and looking fab. They don't have to obsess when the warm weather comes about flabby legs and poochy bellies. They get to tuck in their shirts and wear snug jeans and fitted sweaters and shorts and swimsuits and so on. My payoff ends with the last bite. Big woo. Is that worth it?

I say no.