Conquering a Lifelong Battle Against Unhealthy Eating Habits

Ever since I was very young I struggled with poor body image. I remember asking my mother before the age of eight, while standing in front of the mirror, if I was fat. While I might have been kind of chubby when I was little, I was by no means overweight. Any doctor could have told me that until puberty a few extra pounds is fairly normal. In my early teens I was no longer chubby, but regardless of the fact that my self image was warped. I developed an eating disorder when I was twelve, and throughout high school I fought it on and off. After I thought I had it beat I was plagued with lingering feelings from before, and even though I technically didn't have an eating disorder anymore my meals were unbalanced, full of junk, and too large. Now it wasn't just a battle with myself, but with my weight. For the next four years I yo-yo'd between 120 and 160. The only difference between the top and bottom weights was an excessive amount of exercise.


All of that isn't my focus in this post though. Upon reaching a size 10, and a strong sense of disgust with myself. I was a size 4 just months previously, and feeling amazing in all respects. It was a wakeup call that something was broken with my system. I needed a way of eating that was sustainable over a long period of time (ie. not a 'diet') that would not cause me to gain a lot of weight during times of decreased physical activity. A lifestyle change was in order.

To start this change I started a food journal, and aimed for 1200 to 1500 calories a day. As a rule one should add a zero to their ideal weight if they do not exercise (ie. 100 lbs = 1000 cal.), and one gets another 100 calories for every hour of physical activity. I had been keeping a journal for a couple of months before I got bored with it, usually hitting approximately 1300 calories a day. Then I started working on integrating some kind of regular exercise regimine. Getting to the gym is half that battle, for the purposes of weight maintenance it doesn't really matter what one does as long as one does something. I'm fairly fond of yoga and running on a treadmill, personally. The stair machine is fun every now and again too.


All that aside what is the quality of what I'm eating? I think the food journal needs to be reinvoked. Maybe it being electronic this time will make it more interesting...or not. According to several articles from MSN's health and fitness section and Alton Brown I have compiled a list of foods I should eat daily or often. Spinach, eggs, blueberries, apples, and other fruits, winter squash, whole grains, leafy greens, nuts, carrots, oily fish, yogurt, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and avocados. All of these foods are nutrient rich, provide great health benefits, and therefore are considered more than just empty calories by far...

It's exciting, because I know I'm on the right track. When this process is over I will be rewarded with a new lease on life (please pardon the cliche).