Interested in Developing Healthy Lifestyle? Or Committed to it?

I was thinking this morning again about the difference between interest and commitment.

The differences are stark, when you think about them.

For example, if you are INTERESTED in something, you research it (until it is no fun anymore to do that), you dip your toe in, as long as it is interesting enough to your attention you will play with it for awhile.

If you are COMMITTED to something, you do it even when it gets "boring" or may be inconvenient or lose it's luster.

Take marriage, for example.  Can you imagine if part of your wedding vows were:  "I'm interested in you"?  Are you "interested" in remaining faithful?  If your spouse asks you if you ever plan on straying from him/her, do you say "I'm interested in not having an affair, I'm interested in staying monogomous to you"?

I'm not gonna judge, but I'd wager that many or most or even ALL of you who have been married did NOT go in to your married life with this mentality.  You were COMMITTED to your spouse. 

Interest vs. commitment in living a healthy lifestyle is a similar thing.  Here is what INTEREST looks like:

I am intrigued with the prospect of being healthy.
Therefore, I order the products, because these people over here seem to be getting good results.
I am excited and thrilled at the possibility.  I am in the first "blush" of a relationship.  Giddy even.  Look at the box of awesome things that UPS delivered to my door, frought with possibilities of a new healthy life.  Shiny.  New.  Potential.

Fast forward a few weeks.

Dang weekends are hard.  I do so well during the week when I don't have to think about what to eat or when, I'm so busy with work I just do it in the background and I don't have many temptations.  But Friday night comes around and man does it get difficult because I'm unstructured and I'm always around the yummy food.  I leave the house and forget my Meal Replacements because I think I'm only going to be gone for an hour or two, and then 5 hours later I get home famished and just want to grab something, or else I see that In-N-Out Burger or Taco Bell and just NEED something.  Plus we had an office party and the food just looked so good I couldn't refuse it.  Wouldn't it be rude not to eat the food they provided?  That Costco Carrot Cake....wow...it would be a shame to throw the rest out.  Sunday potluck at church AGAIN.  Why does this always happen on the WEEKEND!!!  This whole thing is getting HARD.  I don't like HARD.  I don't like challenges and I can't seem to stay on plan.  I can't seem to get my water in consistently.  I know what 7 ounces of fish looks like, I don't really need to weigh it.  Hey, it's vegetables.  How ridiculous is it to get a measuring cup and and MEASURE VEGETABLES.  Vegetables are healthy, right?  Why can't I have fruit?  Fruit is healthy?  This plan must not be healthy if I can't have fruit.  And all the berries and peaches and cherries are almost IN SEASON and I CAN'T HAVE ANY!  THIS SUCKS!  I think I'll just put this on hold for awhile and enjoy my vacation/summer/weekend/life.  After all, I can always start it back up again when I'm less stressed/summer is over/after the 4th of July BBQ.  It will always be here, in my pantry, I can just start again on Monday.  Hard core.  Super hard core.  I'm going to DO it again.  Tomorrow.
Here is what COMMITMENT looks like:

Wow.  This is getting a little tough!  I seem to be having to put more effort in to staying completely on plan.  I didn't know it would be this hard to change my behaviors, those behaviors that turned me into a Super Class IV Obese person.  Ouch.  This is kind of inconvenient, having to take my Meal Replacements with me today because I might not be home for a few hours.  But I will.  Because I said I could, I said I would, and I'm going to do it.  Dang it's sort of awkward being the only person here, at a WEDDING reception, NOT eating wedding cake.  But I'll navigate through the discomfort and put on a smile and know that I am working on my health goals despite what anyone else is doing or what anyone else is thinking.  And I have my Chocolate Mint Crunch Bar in my purse.  I got this.  Shoot, the battery went out on my food scale.  I think Walmart sells them, I'd better go today and replace it so I can weigh my lean protein tonight.  I have been doing so well the last few weeks, I really have had red wine and blue cheese on the brain.  It would be so FUN to have some right now....but I'm not going to, because I am COMMITTED to my health goals and I KNOW that I can do this if I SIMPLY stay ON PLAN today.  Just today.  The girls Bunco night is tonight, and they always have a spread to DIE for.  But eating that doesn't fit in with my plans to attain and maintain optimal health so I'm going to pass with a smile.

Interest:

interest |ˈint(ə)rist|
noun
1 the state of wanting to know or learn about something or someone: she looked about her with interest.
• (an interest in) a feeling of wanting to know or learn about (something): he developed an interest in art.
• the quality of exciting curiosity or holding the attention: a tale full of interest.
• a subject about which one is concerned or enthusiastic: my particular interest is twentieth-century poetry.

Commitment:

commitment |kəˈmitmənt|
noun
1 the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.: the company's commitment to quality.
• a pledge or undertaking: I cannot make such a commitment at the moment.
2 (usu. commitments) an engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action: business commitments | young people delay major commitments including marriage and children.

Notice definition 2 of "Commitment".  An engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action. 

Are you committed to health?  If so, you may find that you necessarily are RESTRICTED in your FREEDOM of ACTION.  It is a self-restriction, and many of us see that and we don't LIKE that restriction, we don't like ANY restriction on our intake or our activities.  Restriction is thought of almost as a BAD WORD.  But it isn't.  It is a self-imposed discipline that we put on ourselves because we are COMMITTED to something.  Whether it be a relationship/spouse or a lifestyle, being COMMITTED to something will NECESSARILY bring with it some restrictions on our activities.

So sometimes I do a heart-check on myself as to whether I am committed, truly committed, to living an optimally healthy lifestyle?  Because if I start resenting the restrictions I may be tending towards INTEREST instead of COMMITMENT.  And interest comes and goes.  But commitment does not.

How about you?