After a brief hiatus (or, as some insist on calling it, "the year 2005") I'm back on my weight loss program. No trendy Atkins or Weight Watcher diets for me... I'm simply cutting my daily calorie intake, trying to eat better foods, and increasing my activity level. It's not rocket science, but if I stick with it, it works.
I grew up rail-thin, and never had to worry about my weight until I was well into my 30s, so for me the hardest part is changing behaviors that have become second nature through decades of repetition. For example, now I force myself to read labels and know the calorie content of everything I eat: meals, beverages, condiments, cough drops, all of it. I quickly learned perception doesn't always match up with reality when it comes to food.
Tonight I purchased some Morningstar Farms veggie burgers for dinner, along with whole grain rolls and spicy mustard. I prepared the burgers according to the directions, topped each with a 5-calorie dollop of mustard, and sat down to eat. Now, I'm sure some people enjoy veggie burgers as an acceptable alternative to beef hamburgers, but I'm not one of those people. I think the damn things taste like cardboard. But hey, that's the price I'm going to have to pay if I want to lose weight, right? I've got to make some sacrifices.
Except, maybe I don't.
After dinner I went online to find out how a regular beef hamburger would compare - calorie-wise - with the veggie burgers. Turns out that one of my veggie burgers on a whole grain roll with a dollop of mustard came in at (drumroll please) a whopping 5 calories less than a delicious, juicy McDonalds hamburger. To add insult to injury, that hamburger would have been 8 cents cheaper.
As the midterm elections approach, I urge you to remember the lesson of the veggie burger. Things aren't always as they seem. What we take for granted as our best option might not turn out to be so great after a bit of scrutiny. Settling for less isn't always worth the benefit. Assumptions are meant to be challenged.
We have a great opportunity this November, but a great responsibility as well. Taking back a house of Congress, or both, will only be the beginning of our journey, and people will be watching us closely. It's essential that we have the very best people carrying the torch for us. There's simply too much at stake for us to fail, either now or after November.