I do not eat to lose weight. I’ll start with that. So why do I eat – why do we eat – we humans? We eat because we must. Although there are examples of exceptions, the rule of thumb is that humans can live about three-weeks without food. Does that mean that I eat healthy? Nope. I try, but I try in reasonable ways. I like salad, I like many fruits, and I like vegetables – though not cooked as much – and apparently that’s good. But I also like comfort foods. I live in Wisconsin, so of course, there’s cheese. However, in food choices, there are so many deviations from ‘real’ that just confound me.

Several weeks ago, I blindly purchased a jar of peanut butter. I grabbed a bit blindly, and ended up with low-fat peanut butter; it was repulsive. What is the point? I don’t eat peanut butter to lose weight. I eat peanut butter because I like it. The other day I was at a convenience store buying a bagel (yeah, I know – not much choices for bagel places around here) and in the cooler there were flavored cream cheeses (bletch), but there was also a 1/3 fat cream cheese (bletch, bletch). Again, why? Cream cheese is cream cheese.

So where does this come from, this mild rant? Today, I was on my way to a job site that tends to grate on my nerves, so I stopped for a small latte, no flavor. The little bistro is not too far from the site, but nowhere near where I work, so I don’t get there too often. I paid and walked out to my car. I took a sip and nearly spit it out. Skim milk. Skim milk is not milk, it is water with a little milk splashed in for color. I drank it, but bletch. Usually the baristas ask, but I didn’t think about it. Waste of an otherwise good cup of coffee.

I don’t have the greatest body. I don’t have the greatest habits, but I am okay with who I am. Do I strive to keep things under control? Yes. I am getting older, and it’s harder now, but I am getting older. Life is too short to fuss with foods I wouldn’t feed my dog. I watch people, and although I have no issue with other people’s food habits, their desires to cut down on fats and salts and sugars, or their exercise habits that have them grunting and complaining, I just want to enjoy what I can, while I can.

Moderation.

I guess that’s my road. I want exercises that are sustainable: Bike riding, walking, swimming. I don’t want or need to flip a gigantic tractor wheel end over end. I don’t want or need to lift 300 pounds, or do a burpee (what the hell is a burpee? I hear cross-fit people talk about it at work and I just want to laugh). I want to eat a peanut butter sandwich that tastes like peanuts and a little salt. I want real.

© L. Rose