It's not fair. And it's not fun, eating healthy food. I have friends who eat healthy and they say it's "delicious." All those greens and whole grains and lean meats and fish, YUM YUM YUMMY.
Well, I say YUCK YUCK YUCKY. Especially if you came from the childhood I came from, where "healthy eating" just wasn't on the menu. We pretty much ate what we wanted. Sure, my mom tried to feed us balanced meals, but we mostly at the "unbalanced" parts and left the "balanced" parts sitting on the plate. ;-) And I can't even count all the "doughnut" runs and "junk food" treks to the store during the summers. My brother and I would save our money and go buy candy and junk. It was heaven, 'cause we were kids.
Luckily I was a spazz growing up (can you say ADD?) and I burned everything off quite quickly. Until I started college, and realized that being a spazz was socially unacceptable, and I slowed down. Wayyy down. I gained the Freshman 15. (More like 20) Lost it the summer after my freshman year, of course, but I realized I had to DO things to keep the weight off. Like running and fitness classes. I stuck with running, especially after an unfortunate Step class at BYU (remember, Aimee?) where I rolled my ankle severely, a few minutes in. Coordinated I wasn't. Running was the easiest thing to do.
Yeah, running was how I kept the weight off. I hated every minute of it, because my lungs hurt and my sides hurt and my legs hurt and oh my the SHIN SPLINTS, but when I got engaged and I wanted to get "fit" for my wedding, I dropped 15 pounds in two months, because I RAN a few miles every day.
Now, I'm in my late 30's, I have four kids, and the Metabolism Fairy has completely deserted me. (Well, let's be honest, She deserted me after my first child, but who's counting.) And I have decided I need to get down to my high school weight again, before I hit my 40's, or I'm going to be...in a word...screwed.
So, yes, this post has a point: I am eating healthier. I am going kicking and screaming because I am a total stress/comfort eater, but I am making the effort. My daughter, who has suddenly become VERY health conscious, shuns pretty much anything processed. McDonald's is the Devil. (And when she was younger she used to LOVE those Happy Meals!) She pretty much has fruit, and more fruit, and I force her to eat protein. She does sports, so she has an outlet, but I asked her why she suddenly "hated" all the good tasting food and she said "I don't. I pretend I hate it, because I love it so much."
I guess I could learn a thing or two from my own daughter, right?
So, if you see a grumpy lady with a stalk of celery in her hand, don't worry, that's me. Basically, just stay away from me for the next six months, because that's how long it's going to take for me to "get used" to not eating my usual yummy food. And I'm going to do it all: running, weights, yoga, EVERYTHING. And I am going to be CRANKY. Because I like carbs. I like sugar and salt and fat. In fact, I might even lurrvvvvve them...
They just don't like me. :-(
4 comments:
The thing is, if you're going to approach it as a deprivation diet, it won't work. You CAN eat carbs and all the other stuff, just not in huge portions or all the time.
I don't eat much processed food anymore, and now, when I do, I enjoy the eating, but boy do I feel awful after - -and not mentally, because I don't fall into the Guilt Gully -- but physically, my body has changed so I can't process it well any more.
I don't believe in diet or low fat ANYTHING -- whole milk, real cheese, etc. Pasta with alfredo sauce. Mac and Cheese -- but Annie's not Kraft. Or the recipe out of the original Moosewood cookbook. Once you've eaten Annie's, Kraft tastes like melted plastic (which, to me, is basically what Velveeta is). Wine with dinner almost every night (although I rarely drink at any other time any more). And I don't do the "oh, the portion has to be the size of your fist" -- maybe if you're nine!
I also adjust my eating to what I do. I eat differently in winter (foods that help the body to retain heat) than in summer (foods that help the body cool down). If I'm sitting writing all day, I eat differently than if I'm out in one of the nature sanctuaries, and I ate totally differently when I was doing 8 shows/week and hauling around heavy baskets full of clothes.
Everyone's body responds really individually to different foods. Look at it as culinary adventure to find the best foods for your body that you also like.
It can be a lot of fun!
I don't remember you joining me for a step aerobics class? Clearly, you haven't forgotten. But I know I took one in college. Haven't been back since.
Good luck with the healthy eating. Even those of us who still get regularly visited by the Metabolism Fairy have to be careful. My best advice: cook from scratch, eating something fresh at each meal, don't eat after 7 p.m., and allow yourself one small treat a day (a real homemade cookie, a few spoonfuls of Haagen Das, a square of dark chocolate). This will keep the binging to a minimum. Another trick: instead of a large glass of o.j. in the morning, stick to 6 oz. You'll lose 15 pounds in a year without even trying!
Good luck! Your taste buds will adjust. But I think it could take at least 6 months, so hang in there.
I eat pretty healthy, but I was also raised to eat that way. If your parents let you eat all that junk food when you were a kid of course your going to have bad habits as an adult. And they're hard to brake. Good luck!
Janey
Yes, it's all our fault. 'sigh :-(
Mom
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