I once had a nice figure. I was slim. I used to get plenty of exercise and worked out at the gym. I ate well and the food tasted so good. As time went by, I started eating more than I should. Now I’m fat and that’s something I’ve always hated, but the reasons and circumstances are quite complicated.

    It’s easy to eat and enjoy food. It’s taste and nourishment can really improve your mood, at least for the moment and for a while, but when you look in the mirror and see extra pounds, you’ll soon lose your smile. If you’re blessed enough to have food in abundance, the temptation to over-indulge is a likely circumstance.

    In our youth, we have motivation, we have an image to maintain. As we get older, our strength and enthusiasm often begin to wane. The self control we had slowly breaks down. Our resolve and determination are no longer sound. Self control really is the key to success in many a case. It gives us a lot of say in the challenges we face. And the challenges we face are quite a few. There are so many difficult times we must go through. Some things we once enjoyed are no longer there. We experience loss, heartbreak and despair, but food is something that still brings us enjoyment. A good meal can temporarily make us feel content. We want to extend that contentment longer and this can make our appetites grow stronger. Snack foods are a problem in addition because they taste so good, but are generally poor in nutrition. Your body will crave the nutrition that it needs and overeating is very often where this leads. I once could resist that second piece of cake, but now I’m eating 3 pieces for goodness sake! My metabolism has slowed down and I have too. I can’t do all the things I used to do. So now the pounds creep on one by one and gone are the days when exercise was fun. I must eat less in order not to get fat, but food tastes so good, I don’t think I can do that. Well, maybe what I need is something new to catch my interest. If I have interesting things to do, perhaps I’ll eat less and there really is plenty to do. There are things old and things new. One could take a class and learn a new skill. One could volunteer to help others. It’s just a matter of will, as in, “Will I be able to change my bad habits and replace them with good deeds and tasks to sharpen my wits?”