I realized something this past week and it's rocked me to my core: I can't blame my parents anymore.
It's so easy to blame them. I have been shaped by their genetics and as a response to their parenting. I would be someone completely different if Mom wasn't Mom and Dad wasn't Dad. Three out of four grandparents had diabetes. Both of my great-grandmothers on my Dad's side of the family were obese. I know I have their genes.
And both Mom and Dad taught me as a child to turn to food as comfort and as a reward. At Dad's we ended most nights with a huge bowl of ice cream. At Mom's the snacks flowed freely and food was convenient, not always healthy.
While I would rather blame genetics and learned habits, the truth is I am 30. No matter what has brought me here, no matter what happened in my past, I am the one responsible for how I am today. I am old enough to see that when habits are not healthy, I have the opportunity to make different choices and to fight those habits.
I can't do anything about genetics except be aware of what I'm made of and fight like hell to postpone the diabetes and other health issues until I'm an old lady.
That said, I'm on a four day streak of eating reasonably healthy food. Other than a latte today, I haven't had caffeine for the past 3 days. I'm excited to throw blueberries on my salad tonight because I did that last night and it was super good.
Four days isn't much, but it's the beginning of better habits.
Now to head home to change into work out clothes and hit the gym. Tonight I will be brave enough to try the weight machines.
No comments:
Post a Comment