Let me begin by saying that the title of this blog has a double meaning--my younger daughter, who will be 10 months old on the 25th, has officially started walking. And soon enough she'll be running around with her older sister, who will be 2 in August. Life will now get more interesting.
But the real reason I write tonight is because of dinner. Tonight it was grilled chicken, steamed spinach and marinara sauce (homemade at least). It made me think about all the changes I've made in the last five weeks.
I've always been a relatively healthy eater and have always had a healthy appetite, as they say. So maybe healthy isn't quite the right word. At times I have had a downright obsession with food. I've gone from one extreme to the other, counting calories like my life depended on it to thinking as long as I worked out as hard as I could, I could eat whatever I want--so not true.
I remember I used to get mad if someone ate a bite off of my plate or, gasp, threatened to share a meal with me. I was so worried I wouldn't get enough of whatever it was I happened to be eating. I don't know why I felt this way, and I'm sure I'd get to the bottom of it if I sat long enough on someone's couch. But, alas, that's for another time.
Anyway... five weeks ago I really cleaned up my diet. Gone is the endless supply of Polly-O string cheeses--my go to snack any time of day (I would eat 2 or 3 at a time). No more fat-free Greek yogurt sweetened with sugar. So long homemade muffins, muffins that were made with whole wheat flour, egg whites and agave nectar. Bye bye bread.
I got rid of the stuff that over the years we've been conditioned to believe we need. Don't get me wrong, I love bread, cheese and chocolate just as much as the next gal. Though I will still enjoy both on occasion, they don't need to be a staple in my diet any more. I've added things like plain, nonfat Greek yogurt; nuts; berries; steel-cut oats; unsweetened, dried fruit; and a bunch of other whole foods, not to mention my nutritional saviour, Shakeology!
The point is, for me, that food is fuel. Yeah, it should taste good, but it shouldn't be the only thing that makes you feel good. Make small changes in your diet and see how you feel. Understand that what you put into your body affects what comes out of your body--your energy, performance, mood, etc. Reshape how you eat, and this will in turn reshape your body and your life.
