Happy 4th of July!!!

July 4th -- the day Congress signed the Declaration of Independence.  That is the tradition behind our day off today.  But is that what we're celebrating?  Sure...Old Navy has 2011 Flag t-shirts .... and Target has some great red, white, and blue streamers ... but much like the hot dogs and hamburgers we will eat today, they have very little to do with the actually holiday.

I watch clients do the same with food.  They get so caught up in the fact that "they love food" that they can't seem to make the mental leap that they could eat less -- especially eating less of the foods they don't love.  Even the Food Network Judges are presented with foods they don't enjoy -- and they have professionals cooking for them everyday!

Clients seems to get lost in the idea that without heaping amounts of food, they cannot possibly be content.  But I will counter with the idea that your Fourth of July celebration will not be lessened if you don't have the Old Navy flag shirt, the streamers from Target, a hot dog, and a hamburger.

I bet if you had one thing on that list and got to go to the fireworks, you would still be able to enjoy your Independence Day celebration.  And in the same vein, if you were at a weight you were comfortable with and you ate 1/2 the amount you do now, you would still enjoy life -- and maybe enjoy it more because you could focus on what really matters and not be distracted by your weight.