First of all, I would like to apologize for the skinny b%$&*h comment in my last post. Please know that I said it out of jealousy, pure and simple. I don’t hate skinny people … some of my best friends are skinny people! Okay, maybe not, but I do try to tolerate them.
When I was 26 years old, for a variety of reasons, I decided to become a vegetarian. I was in college (i.e. open to experimentation), had always been an animal lover, and was starting to have difficulty reconciling my love of fried pork chops with the treatment of animals raised for food. After reading Upton Sinclair’s book The Jungle, my desire to stop eating meat was cemented. Please note, I did realize that his book was published in the early 1900s and that the meat industry had changed it’s methods significantly since then, but I couldn’t get the images out of my mind -- just ask any of my friends and they will confirm that I have a fertile imagination!
I started limiting my meat intake and slowly became a vegetarian … a very bad vegetarian. I went from relatively well-rounded meals consisting of meat and veggies to pure fat and carbs. How great it was to feel superior and be able to eat pizza with extra cheese, fettuccini alfredo with garlic bread, baked potatoes with butter … and sour cream … and cheese … but no bacon. Let’s not forget cake, ice cream, and cookies. Nor the beer, wine, and whiskey. However, no meat, so I was healthy, right??
Now, before I started my new vegetarian adventure, I was already hovering around 200 pounds. Afterwards, I managed to eat my way right up to 330 pounds and slid into Type 2 Diabetes! Between dieting (starving myself) and haphazardly following a lifestyle without understanding the basic needs of my body and the food that I put in it, I was lucky I didn’t kill myself. What I did do was miss out on a lot of living because I was too sick, sluggish, and embarrassed to pursue some exciting opportunities that were presented to me.
As I began my newest journey towards health, one of the things I finally understood was that I could no longer DIET. Don’t get me wrong, I have modified my behavior. I’ve cut back on the bad carbs, sugar, and fat - mainly out of necessity not because I’m such a self-disciplined person -- but, if I want a piece of cake, I’m going to have it and I‘m not going to apologize or feel guilty. I will just make sure that I eat my meal first and that my meal consists of protein, grains, and vegetables. I also try to eat five or six small meals rather than two or three large ones. I don’t count calories -- primarily because it makes me crazy and I end up losing every list I create to track them.
I’m still a vegetarian. Actually, I’m more what I like to call a “faux” vegetarian. (This is a lifestyle choice. I don’t judge others if they eat meat nor do I feel the need to defend why I choose not to eat it. I absolutely refuse to even get into the “chicken is not meat“ discussion.) There are times when I crave chicken or fish, so I will have a piece. It happens a couple of times a year and I don’t flog myself when it does. I’ve cut most dairy from my diet. I love it, but have found that it causes a lot of congestion which makes it difficult for me to breathe. I prefer breathing to dairy -- most of the time.
Bottom line is that I have chosen a way to eat that works for me and no longer beat myself up when I screw up. I just pick myself up and move on with my life. Eating properly and exercising have become a basic part of my daily routine -- just like showering and brushing my teeth. It will never again become more important than living my life.
What about you? What eating habits work, or don’t, for you?
No comments:
Post a Comment