Healthy Beginnings

Until this year, I had been on every diet plan imaginable – dating back to my teens, when at age 13, my mother put the book The Women Doctor's Diet for Teenage Girls, in my Christmas Stocking. Then, at age 15 (and 101 pounds) my mother took me to the Weight Loss Clinic (like a Canadian equivalent of Weight Watchers). (There are a lot of childhood issues there – including a short struggle with anorexia.) My food was highly regulated as a child – to a scary point. A typical day's meal was non-fat, unflavored yogurt with artificial sweetener and a slice of pineapple for breakfast; a half a tuna sandwich, an apple and a diet Sprite for lunch; four ounces of plain baked chicken and vegetables for dinner. I was a ballet dancer, working out 40 hours a week, and so malnourished (by this strict diet) that my metabolism shut down. So as soon as I was in control of what went into my mouth, all hell broke loose. By my mid 20’s I was in the high 100’s. By my 30’s I hit the high 200’s. I peaked in my 40’s at 325. I can say that now, because it is in the past. (Though it is hard to admit that number. Yikes!)

Throughout that time, my entire life revolved around food. Every diet plan always left me hungry, grumpy, and obsessed with whatever my next meal would be. In 2009, I finally decided I was done obsessing and gave up on dieting. That act alone allowed me to lose 20 pounds without trying (because I was no longer eating everything in site any time I “cheated” on the diet). Because I could have whatever I wanted without guilt, I no longer needed anything specific.

Then in late 2011, my dear friend Janette told me about The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. That book changed my life. It is essentially a version of a “paleo” or “caveman” diet, which my family started in February 2012. The basic premise is that you avoid sugar, starch, grains and EVERYTHING that is processed. We eat meat, chicken, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. The idea is that, evolutionarily speaking, man has only eaten grains for 10,000 years and our bodies are not meant to process them efficiently. The author believes that most, if not all, people have a gluten resistance, and that eliminating that (plus the thousands of chemicals that go into processing food) have a huge impact on our health. For the first time ever, food is not something I think about. At all. My life no longer revolves around planning and preparing my next meal. And for the first time ever, I have NO cravings. None. I can walk past any formerly enticing sweet or salty snack and not think twice. Those things simply do NOT interest me. I eat to stay alive and nothing more. (That isn't to say that I don't enjoy the food I eat, I do.)

There is a website, Mark's Daily Apple which can give you the basics and lots of good information.

The other change is that I am now walking. A lot. In mid-September, my friend Gina (who has lost 80 pounds herself this year) signed up for the Heart Association walk which took place on October 7th. Somehow I found myself agreeing to do it with her. (WHAT?!) That night, I walked as far as I could – 3/10 of a mile, and then collapsed! I kept at it until I was able to walk the mile needed on October 7th. Since then, I have kept walking and regularly walk two miles at a stretch, and often more. I turned myself from a stress-eater into a stress-walker. Some days I walk several times – five miles or more in all!

To date, I’ve lost 75 pounds. I actually weigh less than it says on my driver’s license. I weigh the least I have in ten years. It feels good.

People ask me what my goal is. I didn’t start with a goal. Changing eating was what our family did to be healthier. Weight loss was a side-effect. At one point, I decided I wanted to be able to shop in the “regular” section. I’m nearly there now, and nowhere near done. The good thing is, that without a goal, I will always just be eating well and walking because it feels good. I won’t STOP that behavior just because I got to some magic number or size.