Confessions of a Food Addict

The holiday's can present a challenge for anyone trying to maintain a balanced diet. 'Tis the season when unhealthy foods in high quantities are everywhere we look, and if we aren't  careful, the decisions made over the next few weeks can be a huge set back to our weight loss progress.    

There are two types of people:  those who eat to live and those who live to eat.  I fall into the second category and am proof that it is possible to LOVE food and still lose weight. Journalism 101 teaches us that any good story encompasses the '5 whys and a how.'  I believe this concept presents a good framework to understand and begin to change how we relate to and make decisions about what we put into our body.
  
The Who: Admit Your Truth
Who is food to you?  And yes, I'm aware that I just referred to food as a person.  This might get too deep for some of ya'll, but I'm going there.  In examining my relationship with food, I realized that it was my friend.  Food enhanced happy times in my life.  It was there during dark moments.  We even kicked it when I was bored. I reached a point where food was like a drug. The Bible teaches us that as children of God, we are to only be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Allowing food to have that much influence was a problem that needed to be fixed.  Understanding the emotional and mental side of eating is absolutely critical to success. If you are on this journey, don't be afraid to admit your truth.  It may not be pretty, but it's necessary for change.

The What:  You Are What You Eat.
It's impossible to put garbage into your body and expect to be healthy.  My previous routine of eating high amounts of processed food, bread and sugar left me feeling tired, sluggish, bloated and gross. Even worse, I was headed down a path to high-blood pressure, diabetes and more health issues. No bueno.  

You can work out all day every day, but what you put in your body accounts for as much as 80 percent of the weight loss equation. I began to see the most change in my body and mind (ability to think more clearly) when I combined exercise with a diet rich in clean, nutritious foods.  Now, I eat lot's of fruits and veggies, nuts, liquid egg whites, (non-creamy) soups, light or Greek yogurt, tuna,  ground turkey, grilled and/or baked chicken and fish. I drink water with lemon,  green tea, protein shakes, and skim/soy/almond milk.

It's not enough to just start eating the good stuff. You have stop, limit, and substitute the bad stuff. My decision to say no to fast food is one of the best gifts I could have given myself this year. I love the way I feel both physically and mentally when I eat 'real' food, and that drive through burger, fries or chicken nuggets are just just not worth it anymore.  I  limit carbs as much as possible, especially from bread as it makes me gain weight quickly.  If I do have it, I go with small portions of the whole wheat or low-carb options. Store bought fruit juice is not my friend due to the wasted calories and high amounts of sugar and carbs.  I now opt for fresh fruit and veggie juice I make with my my home juicer. (More on my growing love for juicing in an upcoming post!) I have a diet coke every now and then, but I'm working on eliminating it completely as it's not the best option.  Sweets are a no go 95% of the time, however, I have started to really love dark chocolate as it satisfies my sweet tooth and has a lot of health benefits,  in moderation of course. While I've lowered my consumption, I admit that cheese is my weakness. Weight Watcher's string cheese and The Laughing Cow light wedges are lower fat and calorie options that still taste super good. Don't try to implement too many changes once.  Start with one food related commitment, (ex: I will not eat fast food this month), stick to it and build from there until you get into a routine that is sustainable for you.

The When: Early and Often.
Timing is everything, and it's no different when it comes to food. Eating small meals and snacks every 2-3 hours is key.  Your body needs fuel, especially when you are working out a lot. Make sure to start your day with a nutritious breakfast.  I eat an egg white veggie omelet with turkey sausage or low sodium bacon almost every morning.   About two hours after breakfast, I eat a small snack (ex: fruit and a string cheese or almonds and raisins) and lunch consists of a salad loaded with veggies, protein, a small amount of low-fat feta or cottage cheese and oil and vinegar style dressing. Just say no to the creamy dressings.  If you can't kick it, opt for the fat free version. I have another small, protein rich snack before dinner and my last meal usually consists of steamed or grilled veggies and lean protein like chicken or fish.  I love spaghetti, but make it with ground turkey and skip the noodles.  When I fill the sauce with veggies like mushrooms, zucchini and squash I don't even miss the pasta!  

I take kick-boxing in the evening and sometimes I need something in my system post-workout. A protein shake with a little bit of fruit, skim milk and protein powder (I use IsoPure) does the job.  Having healthy snacks on you at all times is very necessary. If you peek in my purse at any given moment, there is probably and apple, bag of almonds or packet of tuna in there. It may sound funny, but I can't tell you how many times an apple quieted a hunger pain and prevented me from making a food choice that I would later regret.

The Where: Focus on Your Food.
Try not to eat when you are preoccupied with something else like watching T.V., talking on the phone or working on the computer.  When you do this, you aren't present in the meal and inevitably consume more calories.  In terms of where to eat, I find that preparing your own healthy meals and eating at home is preferred, but let's face it, there will be times when you have to eat out and that's OK--you just have to plan for success.  When I have a dinner with friends or a work outing, I try and eat a healthy snack right before so I'm not starving and can avoid impulse decisions.  I also view the menu beforehand so I know what I'm going to order before I get there.  

The Why:  Talk to Yourself.
I touched on this a bit when talking about the 'who' when it comes to defining the role food plays in your life. Emotional eating is real, and we often use food to fill voids when it is really there to provide fuel and energy.   Call me crazy, but I talk to myself before getting ready to eat.  I ask questions like: Do you really need this?  Why are you eating?  Is this worth it?  For example, sometimes I think I'm hungry, but I'm really thirsty and a glass of water is really what my body needs vs. food.  Just this past weekend, I was hanging with a friend and we both started craving carrot cake.  (Random, right?!)  I had just eaten lunch, so I wasn't hungry, but we proceeded to walk  to a nearby bakery. My friend got a huge slice of cake and two forks and we proceeded to go in.  Three bites later, I realized that I wasn't eating for the right reasons and stopped. Those few bites were a satisfying treat, but by asking questions to get underneath the why, I avoided a major fitness journey fail. 

The How: Equally as Important as The What.
This has a lot to do with portion control and how much you are eating. While you need to fuel your body frequently throughout the day, that doesn't mean pig out. Leave 'white space' on your plate.  When you go out to a restaurant, ask the server to only bring you half of the dish (restaurant portions are almost always too big) and take the rest home.  Split a dish with a friend.  Do what you  need to do to avoid stuffing your face.  The how also can relate to the pace in which you eat. I'm a pretty fast eater.  I get excited when I eat and this excitement causes me to move fast.  I'm trying to work on chewing slower, drinking water between bites and taking time to savor my food.  I still have work to do here, but when I apply this principle, I find that it helps with awareness of my fullness level, which can also prevent overeating.  

The holidays are wonderful and food is an important piece of quality time with friends and family.  I'm not suggesting you walk around the holiday gathering with your mouth stapled shut--obviously it's OK to indulge from time to time.   (Please believe I will have a few good, slow bites of macaroni and cheese tomorrow!)  Fill up on veggies and protein first and then have a little taste of the 'not so good, good stuff' if you must.  Just say no to the food coma and eat more consciously, not only this week, but in the year ahead and beyond.   If you must go in, the least you can do is workout before and after the meal.  In the end, you'll thank yourself for making better decision because let's face it: NOTHING tastes as good as healthy, disciplined and fit feels!