Live It Articles It's Still about What You Eat and How Much

I am a huge fan of antique shopping. One of my favorite antique stories was sent to me after I spoke at a First Place Rally in Virginia. It seems that following the death of their 96-year-old great aunt Mamie, Bob and Allison found themselves going through a lifetime of interesting antiques and family memorabilia. In the attic they found a box of beautiful wedding china belonging to Aunt Mamie's great, great grandmother. After research, the china was found to be late 18 th century and very valuable, only if you had all of the place settings. Disappointment came when it was discovered they had 12 place settings with everything except the dinner plates. Further research found that what they thought was a salad plate was actually the dinner plate and they had the complete set. Revelation also came that through the years the size of our dinner plates has grown larger.

Our portion sizes have grown larger and larger because we want to get the most for our money. Those of us who are dieters want a plate full of good food with just a few calories. We can even overeat diet food. Portion control and serving size are a must if we want to become fit and healthy. Watch the plates and food of thin people in restaurants. They eat what I would consider a "dab" of food. Most of the time the color palette of food on their plates is more green than white, and very small serving sizes.

Through the years, I have had many clients who work out with the mentality that if they exercise, they can eat what and how much they want. I often see those on maintenance fall into this mindset, thus they begin to see the pounds creeping back. I need you to really hear this statement I am about to make. No matter how much you exercise, it is still about what you eat and how much you eat. My cousin is of the mentality that she can eat what she wants because she takes aerobics and Pilates five days a week. This worked well for her in her 20's and 30's, but now that she is in her 40's she is starting to struggle. She can't work out with the intensity she did when she was younger and her metabolism is slowing down. She is finding that she has to watch her serving sizes and what she eats.

We are in the habit of super sizing our food. Super size = super thighs. If you want to be small, you must order small and eat small. You reap what you sow. If you reap small, you won't have to struggle with those stubborn pounds. Exercise is very important for a good healthy body, but there are many who use exercise as if it were a diet pill and as a reason to over indulge at the plate.   It is about diet and exercise and balance, not about exercise so we don't have to watch our diets.

Back to the story about Mamie's great, great grandmother's china. What they thought was a salad plate was a dinner plate. Let's go back to the 18 th century plan. They didn't have weight problems back then, because they ate smaller portions and worked daily with their hands and bodies to live. Begin using your salad plate as your dinner plate.   Move more for the joy of moving.   Many of those who exercise so they can eat really don't even enjoy their workout. Rather than being members of the clean plate clubs, lets become members of the smaller plate club.   Remember this, you really are what you eat and how much you eat.

Beverly Henson
Certified Personal Trainer


Beverly Henson is a conference and rally speaker for the First Place ministry. She is also a Bible teacher and certified personal trainer. Beverly joined First Place in July 1997 and has lost 160 pounds. First Place has given Beverly a powerful testimony. She is the First Place Director and the Director of Wellness Ministries at Northcrest Baptist Church in Meridian, MS. She is also an area Networking Leader for First Place in Mississippi. Beverly has a genuine love of proclaiming the word of God to His people.