An eye-opening look out my office window

Dear Reader, I'm sitting in my office 19 stories above Lexington Avenue in New York City. I can see all the way down to the street. I can see the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and even all the way downtown to the Freedom Tower (or as I still like to call it, The World Trade Center). And yet, I can't see a single store where I could get something healthy and nutritious to eat. Hang on, let me just go see how many there are... Okay, I count 10 stores that I can see, plus I know there are another five on my side of the street. And not a single one offers anything of any nutritional value. Pathetic right? Yet, if you're trying to live a healthy lifestyle and/or lose weight, the fact is, you have to make changes. And the first one is that you have to give up some level of convenience when it comes to food. It's not impossible to find healthy food in restaurants, but it is more difficult, and usually requires some special requests and modifications to the items you see on the menu. I'm here to tell you--don't be afraid to do this! It's common practice nowadays, and most places are happy to accommodate you. And, if they're not, why would you want to eat there anyway? After all, isn't the customer always right? And this advice doesn't just apply to eating out. When you make dinner plans with friends, explain that you're doing your best to stick to a healthy diet, and ask if you can pick the restaurant--and choose somewhere you know you can find (or special order) something nutritious. When you accept an invitation to dine at a friend's house, go ahead and ask what's being served...and offer to bring a side dish. (And make sure it's healthy! You don't have to advertise this fact, but you'll have some peace of mind knowing that you can eat it--plus, you're doing all the other guests a favor too!) And if the main course isn't something you feel comfortable eating, just explain your situation to the host or hostess and ask if they would mind if you brought a grilled chicken breast with you. Good friends will understand, and be glad to support you. And that's really what I'm getting at here... The road to good health can't be paved alone. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable and ask for help. Others can't support you if they don't know what to do. If you let people know what you need, you'll be surprised at how much easier it is to achieve your goals.