See How We Are

I have been thinking a lot about the one question in yesterday's Q&A that rankled me. If you work out and are vegan and practice yoga, then why are you still fat.
Ouch.
That still stings.
It did make me think about it though. I have all the tools and resources in my head to be healthy, strong and fit. However, in my daily practice that I don't implement it.
There are a whole host of reasons why, and each one painful. It all goes back to a sense of self worth. I know I shouldn't listen to the haters, but their voices are the loudest, and tend to drown out others who quietly offer support.
Looking back on the times in my life I was in fighting form, I had five things going on:
1. A strong spiritual practice
2. Focus and planning of my meals
3. Commitment to exercising daily
4. Time for me set aside daily
5. Routine, routine, routine
Quite honestly I have been scattered and all over the place for the past year. Luckily, I had a strong groundwork in place so there was a minimizing impact in some areas of my life.
In the last year, I added an extra 700 calories to my day on average, which translates to resuming my soda habit, and it resulted in a massive weight gain. What increased the impact was the fact that I wasn't working out. I have the type of metabolism that requires daily exercise. If I don't work out, I pay the price. I need to do cardio, I need weight training and I need stretching.
Planning out in advance what I was going to eat also helped me stay in control. It empowered me to make good choices and have alternatives to the vending machine. I felt in control and it felt great. Knowing what I was eating ahead of time allowed me to make better choices.
Having down time is important too. If you dont enjoy your life, what good is it? Doing things off my happy list helps, but it's not beneficial to have one and never use it.
Just like kids need routine, so do adults. People ask me how I can do it all, my answer is thanks to routine. Knowing what needs to be done and when helps me keep my sanity. Routine with cleaning, cooking, working out, "spa time", what to wear-you name it, I tried to have it as a no brainer. It just makes life smoother overall.
The final puzzle piece was a strong spiritual practice. I admit that I'm spotty at best with it for the past year. I can feel that empty space, and I need to go back to basics.
So in answer to that question, I run, do yoga am vegan and still fat. However I do intend to improve on who and what I am. See how that changes and how I am all along the journey.