What your parents never taught you about food…

(Me at age 3)

If I knew then what I know now, my life would have been totally different. It has taken me years of trial and error; of bad diets and weight gain to finally get in the groove of being healthy and maintaining my weight. Now, don’t get me wrong I am glad that I went through my trials they made me better but looking back I wonder what lessons about food I wish I knew. I often think about what values I will instill in my future children about diet and exercise, so they can avoid the pitfalls that I encountered.

Growing up I did not eat horribly, we actually ate pretty healthy. We were never allowed to have sugar, we did not eat red meats or pork, and we ate tons of brown rice and fiber; so where did I go wrong? Despite my parent’s good intentions I feel as though I didn’t understand why I was eating so healthy. I ate what we had at the house and really didn’t learn why these foods were optimal for my health. I was in college when I had my first hamburger and from there it was all downhill. Here are a few lessons I hope to pass on one day:

Don’t eat late. Eating late was a staple growing up; sometimes we would eat dinner at 9:30 PM. I didn’t see anything wrong with it then, however as I aged I noticed I would wake up feeling horrible. I felt weighed down and my digestion was thrown off track. The more I learned, I realized that eating late and going right to bed is a sure fire way to pack on the pounds.

Eat color. While I developed a love of green vegetables as a child I still ate an abundance of meat. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I realized the importance of eating a variety of vegetables and fruits to have an optimal diet. Eating color is now the source of my vitality.

Don’t’ have seconds. I always had seconds as a child. Thank God the food was very healthy. However, when I was in college (and my diet disintegrated) I continued that bad habit of over eating. I really didn’t know what a healthy portion looked like. Instilling portion control in children at an early age helps to build a healthy relationship with food.

Eat Breakfast. Breakfast was never a huge deal growing up. Especially when I got to high school I always remember skipping breakfast. Breakfast is so essential. It kick starts my day and it sets the tone for the healthy eating.

What types of eating habits do you wish you had learned? What lessons have helped you stay fit? What will you teach your children? Share your thoughts and comments. 

Don't Buy it. Won't Eat it.

At times hunger is so hard to manage. If we go too long without giving into our hunger we over eat and if we are constantly feeding ourselves to avoid hunger then we become over weight. It is very tricky. This weekend I was in yet another hunger balancing act, when I headed to the kitchen for some food. To my dismay there was nothing there I could eat quickly. I searched through the cupboards only to find lentils, quinoa, brown rice and oatmeal. I went through the fridge only to find leafy greens, carrots, tofu and squash. I wanted to scream. I had subconsciously grocery shopped my way out of overeating.

Let me explain. You see while grocery shopping the week prior I brought nothing that I could eat right away (expect for fruit, however when I am hungry for a meal that does little to help the cause). All of my food took time to prepare. If I was going to eat it was going to be fresh and it was going to be something that was well thought out (patting myself on the back).

Just think, no one puts a gun to out head and tells us to buy cookies. There is no one standing there about to stab us if we don’t buy the ice cream. Yet we struggle and we do it to ourselves over and over again. Yes our food addictions and trials stem further than a trip to the grocery store, but why not start there? Shop on purpose. If you don’t buy the bad food then you won’t eat it, right?

Well I had to pass on my trick to you all. Avoiding purchasing snacks and quick eats at the grocery store has helped me to maintain my weight and eat more nutritious meals.

How do you manage your hunger? Do you think it is as simple as not buying bad food? Share your thoughts and comments. 

Becoming mentally thin...

I had a very interesting conversation with my father recently. He is in the midst of doing a detox and he shared with me that he is attempting to mentally form new healthy habits and a positive attitude toward food. It made me realize that we do have unique attitudes, behaviors and patterns with it comes to food. I even venture to say that before we can become fit on the outside we have to become mentally fit first.

Looking at my own battle with the bulge I see how learning to rethink has paid off. Here are a few areas that I consistently failed at when it came to my cerebral relationship with food:

• Whenever I went out to eat I would have to order the biggest and the best thing, I felt that if I was going to spend my money I might as well get plenty for what I paying.

• Holidays and events were an eating sport. The rules of the game were to eat as much as you can without passing out from a food coma. Also making sure you left room for dessert!

• Leftovers? I didn't believe in them. I believed that you had to eat it all now, tomorrow is not promised.

• Mindless eating. At home with little to do I always gravitated toward the refrigerator. It was as if I was a magnet and my fridge was a huge piece of steel.

Those were just a few of my mental faux pas. I really had to take time and retrain my brain. I began to understand that eating was not a sport. While eating plenty of food feels good in the moment I was always pissed when my jeans no longer fit. I became more aggressive and less passive about eating. Most of this behavior was a result of letting my subconscious lead the way instead of consciously making choices.

I wouldn't say I have completely won the battle over my bad mental habits but I am much better than what I used to be. I am a work in progress and I am thankful that I was able to recognize and correct my bad habits. 

So what are some of your bad mental eating habits? Do you believe you have to be mentally thin first? Share your thoughts and comments.

Is Eating Healthy A Chore?

I was having a conversation with a friend recently about packing something healthy to take with me on vacation. I mentioned that I couldn't rely on the snacks available on the train because they are unhealthy. Then my friend asked me “Don't you take a break from eating healthy on vacation?”

That question really got me thinking. Do I take a break from healthy? Well I told my friend that those snacks foods just don't appeal to me. The more I thought about this, the more I realized that I have gone from Darth Vador to Luke Skywalker on the healthy eating scale. How did I get here? How did this happen?

For years I agonized over diets; what I was going to eat and what foods I had to avoid. It was EXHAUSTING. I put so much energy into eating right, that when I slipped up I felt so guilty. I notice that guilt in other people too. When I talk to someone about eating healthy, they often beat themselves up over the poor food choices they have made.

It is this roller coaster of energy and guilt that increase the likely hood of failure. I had a seat on this roller coaster for many years. Guilt was my best friend and I would have so much pride when I was doing good and was so down on myself when I had fallen off.

Solution. The way I broke from this destructive cycle of dieting was really quite simple. I didn't focus so much on the calories and I focused on eating clean, simple and natural foods. My logic was if I could make these whole natural foods taste good then I wouldn't feel guilty about eating as much as I wanted because it wasn't harming my body. I researched the foods I had been eating and how they were harming me. Everyone is different and has a different reaction to food, but we all knows ourselves better then anyone else. We know what makes us feel good and we know what puts the pounds on. Trust yourself.

All in all I must say I am happier. I enjoy eating natural foods and it feels good. I no longer beat myself up every day for making a mistake. If I want to have something not so healthy I eat it and without the guilt. It has been a journey to get to this point but I encourage everyone to find their own path to healthy.

Is eating healthy a chore for you? Do you feel guilty about eating bad foods? How do you think you can make your transition to cleaner eating easier? Share your thoughts.

Can You Maintain this Diet Forever?

Often people reach out to me and ask “How Can I lose weight?” They tell me their stories of struggling with weight for years and attempting to lose those last stubborn pounds. I know the story all to well myself. I had been trying to lose the same 30 pounds since leaving high school. I tried everything on the planet to lose weight some healthy and some not. The only way I was able to succeed and maintain was by drastically changing my eating habits to a diet that is mostly natural and veggie based. This works for me because I love to cook and I really enjoy eating food that I know is going to be great for my body in the long term. I look at it as my “retirement plan” because I am investing in taking care of my body now so that it will be good later. More importantly above any of the benefits, I am happy.

BUT...that is ME. Everyone is unique. We each have our own body issues, likes and dislikes. The first question you should think about when attempting a new diet or way of life is this: “Can I do this for the rest of my life?” If the answer is no, then don't do it.

The best example of this is my own personal journey to health. When I was obese I used to envy people who I deemed as “Health Nuts.” I wanted so desperately to be active and to eat well. From personal experience I knew that my trigger foods were anything with white flour and chicken. I always gained weight after a spaghetti dinner or a trip to the Olive Garden. Eventually, my desire to be healthy and fit outweighed my desire for pasta and chicken. However, if I were to follow a diet where I could never drink wine again it probably wouldn't work.

My hope is that you will find my journey inspiring. When it comes to losing weight and getting healthy I encourage you to take knowledge from various sources and forge your own path. You know yourself better then anyone on the planet and deep down and inside you know what you have to do.

Share your thought and questions. What is something you could never give up in your diet? Have you had any diet pitfalls? Was it due to these reason?