Welcome to Week 3 of my personal challenging of becoming 25 pounds lighter, tighter and brighter!
In the last two weeks I have been conscious of my eating, taking mental notes of what and how I eat. I am also making effort to eat the foods that are supportive of my goals.
Over the years, my rating habits have changed a lot. It has only been in recent years that I have come to appreciate my body and the goodness of food from nature (food from plants not good manufactured in plants).
One thing is for sure: what and how you eat is directly related to how your body feels and looks. What I put in my mouth, down my oesophagus, into my belly directly affects my overall health.
When I came to Canada I was so taken with the abundance of tasty food such as BBQ pork! I just couldn't stop eating. It became my favourite past time. When I wasn't eating, I was thinking about eating. When I was eating, I was thinking of what the next meal or snack would be.
Growing up, I ate what was made at home. In addition, I would also buy kids candies, chips and frozen treats.
No one taught me about the dangers of junk food... In fact, my fourth grade teacher (I really respected her) even bought the class donuts to celebrate my birthday the first year I found out when it was! It was also my first time eating a donut with coloured sprinkles.
Now, as a mother, I am quite aware if the negative effects of consuming artificial colours, processed refined sugar, refined white flour.
What would have happened if I did know about these things? Well, I learned through experience. If you eat all the time, and think about eating when you are not, and you consume refined junk food regularly over a period of time (and keep in mind that every individual is different), symptoms appear.
I cannot say that my symptoms were 100 per cent caused by my diet, there were other factors too. At Integrative Nutrition, the school I graduated from, we talk about the importance of Primary Foods. These are the non food nutrition td we need for a full life.
In high school I became really fat. But I didn't just fat then; it was a process of continuing to eat the way that I did. Roller coaster self starvation and binge eating didn't help matters.
The worse I felt about myself, the worse I would treat my body. I had a disconnect with the wise organism I was housed in.
Getting fat was a symptom of self loathing. I hated being fat, but I didn't realize that being fat wasn't my problem - it was merely a signal that something was not right.
The peak of my fatness was a turning point in my life. I had reached a depressing and alarming 195 pounds!!!! And I was only 5'5" tall.
I still remember this point of weighing myself in my parents' bed with sunlight beaming I to the room. It was shortly before my Mexico experience (which has shaped so much of my adult life).
In Mexico, I was started going to the gym regularly. I was embarrassed, but I remedied the situation by not wearing my eyeglasses so that I couldn't accurately see myself in the mirror.
I continued to go exercise regularly. I knew that it would take time, but in time, my efforts paid off.
My eating habits were still not great, but it wasn't until I returned to Canada the following year that I realized how much I had changed.
Before going to Mexico, I wouldn't touch any kind of bread unless it was a white Wonderbread type of bread. I wouldn't drink any tea unless it was an orange pekoe with milk and sugar. After coming back from Mexico I wouldn't eat any bread unless it was multigrain and whole grain. I wouldn't drink any tea unless it was herbal.
Amazing!
My eating habits from then have taken many many many changes as well. One trend about my eating habits is that they are becoming more more supportive of the the lifestyle I want to lead.
What I eat has GREATLY improved. What I would like to accomplish is eat slower (chew my food into a slurry before swallowing) and eat less. I think that by eating slower and limiting my eat time, I will be able to eat less yet still be satisfied.
Eating under stress
One thing I have noticed about my eating patterns in the last three weeks is that I eat quite well when I am at work where my time is structured. I have two fifteen minute breaks and one half hour lunch. Since the time is so limited, I am able to eat just enough.
Now when I leave work, I find myself feeling the munchies... When I get home, I am so grateful for a hot home cooked meal waiting for me. Although I want to eat in peace sitting down in front if the table, it usually doesn't end up being like that.
The kids are usually in motion and making lots of noise. Most of the time I find myself eating standing up in the kitchen while serving the kids. So I am not focused in my meal. And because there is more, I eat more.
It is not until I have eaten too much that I stop.
So, I have a plan to help me restrict my intake in the evening. For the next week, my goals is to finish eating by 7pm. I just must be done eating at that time. It is a game. If I can fulfill that, I will get closer to my goal of 25 pounds lighter, tighter and brighter.
Thank you again for joining me!
If you feel inspired to, please share this post with in your Facebook, google circle, etc.
I would love I hear from you! Ask me any questions or share your experience.
Next week I will talk about physical activity. Until then, make yourself a wonderful day!
Kim
