The idea of this blog post came to me from personal experience. A few years back, I gained more weight than I ever have in my entire life. I wanted to get back in shape so fast, I was willing to try anything. I started to eliminate unhealthy foods and incorporate what I “thought” were healthy foods and a healthy diet. Very quickly, I learned that changing your diet was more than just eating fruits and vegetables. A healthy diet is not only about making healthy food choices, but portion control and consistency as well.
After a month or so of this “healthy diet”, I realized that I didn’t know anything about healthy foods nor portion control and I was nowhere near consistent. I went back and forth with eating healthy and old habits. I also realized that I did not necessarily have the best relationship with food. I mean, my relationship with food prior to this epiphany was horrible. I ate when I was happy, sad, stressed, excited; I literally ate all the time. I also made horrible food decisions. Food had become a crutch and quite frankly, an enemy.
After all of the back and forth with my diet, I realized I had lost no weight, I was still hungry all the time and I had given up. The mental, emotional and physical fork in the road made me want to learn more about nutrition and how to make healthier choices. I started to research on the foods I loved and healthy alternatives. I educated myself on ingredients in the foods I purchased. I started to read food labels more carefully. As a result, I identified new foods I loved as well as ways to still enjoy some of my favorite foods.
Changing my lifestyle as it relates to food made me cook more. I realized that not only was it healthier to prepare more meals at home, it was fiscally sound and I was able to better control my food intake; moderation is key. I learned that it is OK to enjoy food, both healthy and those not so healthy. Changing the way I viewed food made me change my outlook on health, diet and fitness. I realized that I did not have to let my love for food control me, rather learning how to include healthier food options into something I love.
I hope that this post has helped and encouraged other food lovers like me identify ways to make better food choices, but still enjoy what they love.
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