Food Journey - Part 2

I left you last time at my grandma's house when I was 7 years old...with fat jokes.

So, I'll just pick up there. I was 7 and knew I would be fat (because, if you remember, we were fat...I had no choice, or so I thought). I went through my growing up years waiting for the other shoe to fall, when I would start to grow out more than I grew up. And eventually it did happen...but not because of genetics, as I had predestined myself the reason, but because of food choices and lack of exercise.

I find it interesting how easily it is to make excuses. Especially if you have something stuck in your head from your youth. I never thought about the fact that I didn't eat all that great...and that I rarely moved my body. And had I, I certainly would not have thought I could overcome weight issues (that heredity had determined) by simply making these changes. When you are hard-wired to believe something, change doesn't even seem an option.

Now, I was never obese. But I was overweight. In my high school years I could have lost a few pounds (I'd say 15-20). And in my early-20s, the same.

When I joined a gym when I was 21, I thought I'd probably lose some weight...but only if I starved myself (food was for pleasure, not for fueling, if you remember right...or so I thought). So, I worked out HARD. I found I really enjoyed to work-out. But I never wanted to "waste" my work-outs by eating. So I would spend a couple of hours in the gym and then hardly eat anything at all. I would tell myself that if I ate then my efforts were futile. And then, when I was literally starving myself, I would pig-out until I could eat no more. Of course, with this behavior came overwhelming negative self-talk that would stifle anyone in their goals to succeed in health/life. Also with this behavior came the warped self-image that so many people share.

When I met Brian, when I was 24, he was a vegetarian. We watched some videos from a doctor, and what he said made sense to me. A lot of how we believe on the health front still is stemmed from these videos. So with these videos I was interested in giving the non-meat eating lifestyle a try. The doctor never said to not eat meat, just to be clear, he did say to limit meat consumption, but that you didn't have to avoid it. The big thing he promoted was eating fruits and vegetables.

I found that I loved not eating meat. I think the main reason I enjoyed it is because I ate/juiced so many fruits and vegetables, which was lacking in my previous diet. So to get the mass amounts of these good foods, was invigorating. I've always loved the fresh, live, realness from fruits and veggies. I like the earthy flavor of kale and spinach...the sweet taste of carrots and apples...and the heartiness of peppers and broccoli. I don't think I've ever met a fruit or vegetable that I didn't like.

But growing up "knowing" I would be fat had kept me from enjoying the taste and balance these foods provided. I think the non-meat eating time period of my life made me pay attention to how I was feeding my body. Understanding the health benefits and importance of eating "clean". Eating living foods to provide the best health possible.

This time period also taught me how to rely too heavily on grains, though. Because meat was not an option, we relied heavily on grains for substance. Pastas, breads, rice became every day choices for us. This part of the diet was defeating my health goals. **side note** I read in a book recently that you shouldn't eat anything that is or can be made white. That's a lot of foods! But I liked how that was worded...easy and to the point. (more on this later).

So we feasted on fruits and veggies (winners) but also pastas and breads (big time losers). So I didn't gain weight...but I didn't lose any either. And now I was moving (since I had found my passion for fitness/running in my early 20s) but couldn't seem to lose those last few pounds that stayed attached to my being. I was frustrated, to say the least.

As I mentioned before, I was a non-meat eater for nearly 15 years. That's a long time to be frustrated! But, finally, we were introduced to the primal lifestyle and I was FINALLY able to shed the pounds AND frustration to become who I am today. And it's very easy to maintain this lifestyle...there are set-backs here and there...but I refuse to not get back on the Primal bandwagon, it just makes too much sense not to, and the results prove themselves.

I will take one more post to describe the meat eating part of the journey. And this portion of my life was in a BIG nutshell (Brazilian nutshell, perhaps?) and there may be an opportunity at some point to break it down further...but until then, know that I was NOT destined to be fat...even though my fragile little mind did not know this from waaaay back when...and neither are you.

Food Journey - Part 1

Well, notice anything different to the title? Yes, I'm coming out. My family has become (drum roll, please) MEAT EATERS!!! When I look up the word "carnivorous" in the dictionary, the number 1 definition is "subsisting or feeding on animal tissues". Hmmm...well, let's call a spade a spade, shall we?

So, I will eventually get to the tale as to why we made the decision to eat meat (don't worry, you won't have to wait months for the truth to be told)...but my food journey started loooong before we decided to eat meat, or not eat meat, for that matter. I do have to say that when I started this blog, I was 100% vegetarian and had NO INTENTION of adding meat to my diet. I had been a non-meat eater for nearly 15 years, most of my adult life...there's no way that I could expect the recent change in our food options. With that said, I'm happy with the recent choices for me and my family. But know that you CAN live a primal lifestyle without including meat in the mix...we lived a primal vegetarian lifestyle for nearly a year - it can be done!

I'm going to start back at my childhood. When I was 7 and remember my first thought related to food/health. Can you recall yours? I decided to include my childhood thoughts/feelings on food and diet because I believe that is where all of our health journeys begin. We start with our family's beliefs and lifestyle and edit (if we feel the need) as we go.

So...my initial feelings toward food were confusion. My extended family had been largely over-weight. There was little talk about food feeding the body for fuel, it was geared more toward pleasure 'in the moment'. My parents were on their own health journey, which often times was about the "diet of the day". I learned a lot about eating naturally from my parents, I'm very grateful for that introduction at a young age.

I remember my family making a lot of fat jokes. They never seemed unhappy with their weight but the jokes were constantly flowing. I just knew I would grow up to be fat...because we were fat. It was a predestined decision, one that did not allow for personal choice to play a part in the decision-making process.

I never liked the fat jokes...because I knew they were hurtful words, and I LOVED my family. They were intelligent, funny, friendly, jovial...and they deserved a lot more respect than a 'fat joke' would give them.

So, here I am at 7 years old. At my grandma's house. And someone makes a joke about the bulkiness of the family. I didn't know a thing about health but I knew I did not want to be the butt of the fat jokes.

That is where my food journey began...Part 2 will come soon...a little more insight to who I am, and how I got here...a Primal Carnivorous Vegetarian.

Delinquency

I have been absent for quite some time. I will be back in the game shortly! My work schedule has had me running for the past few weeks.

Look for *NEW* posts...recipes, stories, and (hopefully) encouragement!