My Quarterly Post

So, as I am wont to do, I have let the blog languish for approximately 3 months. I am apparently really good at quarterly posts! HA

Today's post is pretty much a cut and paste of a FB discussion a friend, and fellow fit-at-40 struggler, and I had this morning.

It all stemmed from my sharing of this article from the awesome site MindBodyGreen. If you haven't been there you should go.  Go there now and read the article. It is short. I'll wait. :D

Ok, so "relaxing about food" was the topic that led to the following:

Me: [about the article post] This. Exactly! YES!! (for me anyway)

Friend: I am the same way. I need to do this as well. One of my friends mentioned how she changed her relationship with food and she was able to lose weight. I have become obsessed with this comment. What does this mean? I asked her a million questions and still no insight into what this means.

Me: You know, just yesterday I was thinking on this very thing. Last year I lost 20lb "without even trying" and I was revisiting HOW that was even managed. I did 1 key thing... "gave up" meat - which really just forced me to not eat fast food and to eat LOTS more fruit, veg, and legumes. I was "veggie" for about 8months total. I realize it wasn't that I was giving up meat, it was that I gave up FAST FOOD, and I mean all types... processed food in general. I felt better, I looked better (skin-wise), and I really didn't miss fast food.

Me: I went back to eating meat, because, well, meat is delicious... but unfortunately I fell back into my bad habits of waiting too long to eat, snarfing food in my car (from a bag), and then being guilty for "being bad" - of course that slippery slope led to "well I am already "off track" now I'll have this (insert "bad food" here)." I have to get back to a healthy relationship with ALL food. I have tried WW, I have tried restrictive diets, Slim-Fast, Phen-Fen (remember those pills?), all crap crap crap. And when the only thing I was cutting out was meat (read: fast food) I was at peace with food. I was trying more things on menus, I was NOT eating in my car!!! I was shedding pounds WITHOUT ACTIVELY TRYING. I need to revisit this. And this time keeping good quality lean meat and "giving up" fast food.

Me: And I also stopped "counting" - tracking calories, fat, carbs, sodium IS EXHAUSTING and emotionally draining. I did measure out fats & carbs until I got a grasp on REAL portion sizes, but let the veg & fruit fill half my plate. I think why I get so mad at myself is that I KNOW what I need to do, I just don't do it! WOW... this turned into what should be one of my blog posts! HA!   

  

Ok, so this was less a conversation and more me talking about my experiences/thought processes.  I think what it boils down to for me is that I am tired of food being BAD. I am tired of feeling guilty if I want French fries on occasion. I am tired of feeling shame for enjoying a delicious dessert with my husband (or on my own).  I am tired of hearing women (mostly) talk about "being bad" because they had a full-fat latte... and *gasp* a biscotti.  I am sad that I wasted so much of my life (20+ years!!!) fretting about a tablespoon of this and a 1/2c of that... 250calories of this and 12oz of that... meal replacements - shakes & bars.... instead of just ENJOYING MY LIFE.

When I took "meat" - really FAST FOOD - out of my life I was so much happier... and I wasn't obsessing. You know what I WAS doing? Eating well! Cooking at home. Packing healthy lunches. EATING VEGETABLES... and fruit... and legumes.   

So you know what? I am gonna do that again... I need to be FAST FOOD FREE and VEGGIE FULL!

Who's with me?