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I stumbled upon a fantastic book called “Eating for Energy” by a guy named Yuri Elkaim.  This book is just what I needed at the time when I need it.

The issue of weight loss is rarely simply an issue of weight loss.  Over eating is often emotional.  Not exercising is as often distraction/lack of focus as often as it is lack of time.  It’s hard to be happy when you’re unhealthy.  It’s hard to get healthy when you’re unhappy.

“Eating for Energy” brought this all into focus for me.  I know from the descriptions of the book that it is about the benefits of eating live plant based whole foods.   But so far, the book hasn’t really talked about any kind of food.  It talks a lot about attitude and happiness.

Early on in “Eating for Energy”, Yuri challenges us to go a week without saying anything negative.  If you do say something negative you have to start back over at day one.  I have been trying to accomplish this for almost three weeks!

I recently read the book “Skinny Bitch” which had a big impact on me when I read it.  I took a 30 day challenge, and succeeded, to not eat any meat or meat products including eggs and cheese.  It was easy with the images of the abused animals fresh in my mind.

With the torturous  images faded, however,  I have pretty much drifted back into my old eating habits.  What I am coming to realize by reading “Eating For Energy” is that it is the negativity within me that is holding me back.

I have only been out of shape for 5 years.  It should be easy for me to get healthy again and to take that next step into veganism that I know is the right thing to do.  Yuri Elkaim has brought it to my attention that it is not only my flat stomach and highly defined back muscles that I have lost, but my positive outlook and a little bit of my spirit as well.

Which I lost first, I am not sure.  But one definitely led to the other.  The first few chapters of Yuri Elkaim’s “Eating for Energy” make it clear which one needs to happen first for the other one to fall in line.  Without improving my attitude it’s going to be pretty tough to stick to any eating program or focus on a workout.  Without improving my attitude it is going to be tough to find “happy” again.

Thanks Yuri Elkaim for the reminder.  This week I will not say anything negative!

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