It's been an equal part of both for me.
I didn't grow up in an athletic family - my mom was naturally slim and my dad was a high-school and college athlete, but came from a generation/culture where athletics was something *boys* did. My brother was encouraged to run track, play football, etc. I was not. As a result, the idea of getting regular exercise is something that I never really learned or considered as a part of my lifestyle until I became an adult. By that time it was too much effort to get up and move ... and here we are!
OTOH, as a child we traveled a lot and my mom (who as I've mentioned before was very slim but loooooved to eat good food) and dad both enjoyed eating food from different cultures, cooking, sharing food ... etc. Plus my dad's family is from the South and if you know anything about the South, you know that food, and especially heavy fried foods and foods smothered in gravy, are a way of life here.
So ... I get the double whammy.
I love food and learning to cut down on portions and make my favorites healthier (and to realize that there's simply no way to make mac n cheese a reasonable meal!) has been really hard for me. After more than a year of it I have drastically reduced my portion sizes to the point that I'm now eating what I consider to be "normal" amounts of food and anything more makes me uncomfortable.
But I guess learning to be athletic and incorporate exercise into my life has been harder overall. I had to get over the "girls don't workout" mindset and past the feeling that I was awkward and "not athletically inclined" as I've felt all my life. Now I love working out and I love being strong and knowing I can climb flights of stairs w/out getting winded or run across the airport when I need to and not need resuscitation when I get to the gate!
It's still a struggle sometimes to want to GO to the gym, but when I get there I feel so much better and such a glow of accomplishment ... so it's all worth it.
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