Thoughts on Food and Weight

I was looking at food labels the other day. I'm glad they have them, since it does in fact make finding healthy food easier, but they're tricky about it. They hide the real nutritional importance behind percentages bases upon a 2,000 or 2,500 calorie diet. They focus on whatever particular marketing strategy is in vogue at the moment ('low carb', 'low fat', 'made with whole grains') and they really get you with the serving size.

"Only 90 calories per serving!"

Serving size?

1 tablespoon.

Well that's just great.

What really irritates me is the general idea that that "average person" eats 2,000 calories every day. HA! I'd like to meet the person who is fit, healthy and actually eats that many calories. I'm willing to bet they are a 6'2, male athlete!

As a 5'4 woman, if I so much as eat a nibble over 1,200 calories per day I gain weight. Do the math on how *little* you can eat, before you're at 1,200 calories! And I'm a VERY active person, averaging a minimum of 5 hours of cardio and strength related exercise every week!

I've had three children, gaining 40 pounds with each pregnancy. And yet- I've been able to get back to my healthy weight of 105 lbs., 17% body fat.

Not just once...but THREE times!

Larger women often say things to me like:

"I bet you've always been skinny."

WRONG. I went through a somewhat chubby adolescents though I didn't take or save many pictures of it.

"You must have a really high metabolism."

Nope, not anymore. Maybe when I was 12!

"Are you taking pills, using a diet plan or have an eating disorder?"

No, no, no.

I've never done ANY of that. I can't even stand work out videos. But I do find lots of things to keep me active, most of every day and double on the weekends.

"You can probably eat anything you want and not gain a pound."

Ha. ha. ha.

I have found that the only way I can stay thin is to give up just about every high calorie or processed food. The list of things I can't eat, is far longer than the list I can!

I NEVER eat: Cheese, soda (even diet), ice cream (even non dairy), ALL fast food (including pizza and movie theater snacks); alcohol (even for special occasions); coffee (even light or decaf); any desert that is pre-made (Little Debbie snacks, doughnuts, pastries, muffins, bakery cakes, etc. etc. etc.) artificially sweetened drinks (even punch and lemonade); margarine; shortening; any meat that is NOT chicken, fish, turkey or lean beef; cereal with more than 6g of sugar; any milk product more than 1% fat (whipped cream, sour cream, butter milk, cottage cheese, etc.); anything deep fried (fries, KFC, hash browns, etc.) ...

The list goes on and on…

I'm not a model wannabe. I just don't want to hate myself when I look in the mirror or think of all the fabulous clothes I can't wear because I'd be short AND fat. The clothing industry is not kind to people who aren't tall.

Besides, when I eat less and more healthy and exercise a ton, I feel better, I feel happier, I sleep better, and I have way more energy.

So I eat two small meals a day, guzzle almost exclusively water all day and make my 55-60 hour work week fit with being active and struggle to not fall off the wagon at birthday parties, picnics, holidays, etc.

It's a daily challenge.

Because if you think I don't LOVE chocolate and tasty food as much as the next person, you don't know how MANY times I've made myself put back the candy bar and go do some crunches or running in place instead! It is nothing but self-discipline and dedication.

Every morning I ask myself "Do you want to enjoy eating that doughnut for 1 minute and then suffer for weeks to get it off your thighs? Or do you want those cute skinny pants to fit so you can buy them and wear them for YEARS?"

So I get myself psyched up, feeling good, feeling strong, feeling in charge of myself.

And then I go to my kid's friend's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese where all the fat mothers sit around stuffing their faces with pizza, glare at me and ignore me and hate me without even knowing me- because I fight for my right to be thin.

I have no sympathy for ANY of them!!!!!


[MySpace posted Tuesday, May 29, 2007]