For my first official post on Gemini Food Diaries, I've decided to write about the challenges and successes that have come with changing my eating habits and lifestyle. For many years, I said that I wanted to loose weight and become healthier but the steps that I took to achieve those goals were very far and few between. As an example, I've had multiple gym memberships over the years that went unused and even though I knew what was healthy in terms of food, my portion control was way off and I struggled with binge and emotional eating AKA chowing down on an entire bag of cookies.
The first official turning stone with changing my lifestyle came for me when I was pregnant with my daughter, Calista. During those 9 months, I ate a very well balanced diet and went to water aerobics 2-3 times a week plus I started walking more. My gym membership was finally being put to good use! My Obstetrician was very pleased that I had decided to start doing water aerobics and encouraged me to continue with it right up until I was almost due. I had a very healthy pregnancy with no complications, I felt great towards the end of my pregnancy, had very little swelling and I was full of energy. I owe it all to the lifestyle changes that I made.
After Calista was born, I put on some weight. I often didn't make the best food choices when it came to what I ate but I made it a point to feed Calista nutritious food. I know what is healthy and what is not and for various reasons, I didn't choose healthy foods for myself. There were days where I grazed and did not actually eat a full meal at any point during the day and I also became less active.
Calista was about 6 months old when winter hit. I had recently got my drivers license and I was still not comfortable driving with her so we stayed inside for most of the winter unless Darcy, my husband was home and could drive us places. A friend of mine picked Calista and I up to go to a baby play group, which I am very thankful for.
Across the street from me, there was a stroller fitness class being offered so I signed up for 6 weeks of that. I remember attempting to go one week but the sidewalks had not been plowed and Calista's stroller nearly tipped over in the snow drift. A sled would have been perfect to get there but the class was called 'stroller fitness' and not 'sled fitness'. It was suggested to me a number of times that I put Calista in her carrier and walk the hallways and stairs in my apartment building but I think I only did that a few times. As much as I thought about my health, I had other things on my mind.
That brings us to my second official turning stone, Calista's 1st Birthday. When I saw pictures of myself, I couldn't help but feel disappointed in how I had allowed myself to gain the weight I had. I've gone up and down on the scales a handful of times (not as many times as Oprah but enough to know that I know I have it in me to look and feel a certain way). For most of my adulthood, I've had high self-esteem and high self-confidence and I learned to embrace and love my curves.
But the pictures of me taken at the end of June 2011 was an eye opener. Regardless of how high my self-esteem was and how much I had learned to embrace my body for what it looked it, I needed to make changes for my health. I needed to be a positive role model for Calista in all areas of life. I needed to improve my health so that I could be around to see as many of her birthdays as possible.
I started going to the gym on a more regular basis and after a couple of months, I told Darcy that I was joining Weight Watchers and have been attending meetings on a weekly basis. I started going to different classes offered at the gym so that I would not get bored and that I would continue to surround myself with people who are together for a common purpose.
I still struggle some days with sticking to the Weight Watchers plan and trying to change my habits and I know that it will take a lot of work to change 28 years of bad habits. One of the things I really like about WW is that it is a lifestyle and not a diet. Once I reach my target weight, I will hopefully be able to continue living a healthy lifestyle because WW has taught me how to.
A lot of the recipes and foods that I will write about will be healthy and some of them won't be. Weight Watchers teaches us not to deprive ourselves because when we do deprive ourselves, we'll end up going overboard and feel really crappy about it. My journey towards a healthy lifestyle consists of continuous learning and being aware of the changes that I need to make. I love food and flavour and going forward, it's a matter of choosing the best foods to fuel my body 98% of the time because seriously, who doesn't love a cupcake every now and then!
