Balancing french fries and skinny thighs
So I realized lately that it’s been almost a year since I had french fries.
Almost an entire year.
I used to be that girl who could eat and eat and eat and never gain weight. You know, that girl everyone hates. And then, in the post-college years, that changed a bit. I feel like I might be in danger of pissing off some readers, so, here’s my daily disclaimer: I wasn’t fat, by any means, but neither was I comfortable with how I looked and how I felt.
Last year around this time, I made some changes, cutting out a lot of starches and exercising more. I did lose a little weight, but the biggest change has been that I suddenly don’t have the need to eat every two hours or so. Seriously, I would eat and then be starving just a couple hours later. Now I am doing a better job feeding my body things that it can use instead of eating pretzels all the time because I think they’re an okay snack (after all, they’re low in fat, so what’s not to love? Apparently a lot of things). I feel a lot better, and I have more energy. Looking better is just a nice benefit. And I’m fitting into clothes I thought were lost to me forever, so that’s exciting stuff.
It’s interesting to me to think about the balance. I think I have a fairly healthy body image compared to a lot of my friends. I have never had an eating disorder (except maybe overeating). So my parents did a good job there for sure. But I was allowed to just eat whenever I wanted, which led me to eat more when I was tired or upset, or just because I was bored. If we have kids, I want to help them learn about making good food decisions at an earlier age. But how do you achieve that, especially with girls, without making them paranoid about everything they put in their mouths?
I think more about what I eat now, but I am also eating better. I do miss the fries from time to time, but I don’t crave them like I used to. (I mean, I gave up fries one year for Lent. That’s how much I love them.) And I haven’t cut out everything that I love. I’m trying to find that balance between loving food and eating healthful foods. The balance between looking and feeling good without turning mealtimes and snacktimes into a battle or something to be feared. I don’t want to overthink the eating, because I think that’s taking things too far. But I am becoming more comfortable with my new eating patterns, and I am trying to make good decisions.
And, I’m waiting for a very special occasion to break my french fry fast.
October 27th, 2004 at
i am impressed by your fry fast.
October 27th, 2004 at
Especially when Joe spells out my name in french fries, right?
October 27th, 2004 at
i think the AP christmas show weekend would be the perfect occasion for breaking the FF fast.
October 27th, 2004 at
very impressive indeed.
October 27th, 2004 at
Egad.
I can’t go two weeks without french fries.
Though I’m trying…
October 27th, 2004 at
I would like to know how you balance your eating. I still am the girl who can eat and eat and not gain weight (I know, I know) but I figure it’ll catch up to me someday.
October 27th, 2004 at
That’s not true, Adriene - if I did it, anyone can do it.
CJ - I read the South Beach Diet book, and while I don’t agree with the low-carb lifestyle, I think that book is a lot closer to just plain balanced eating than, say, Atkins. I’m not following it very closely at all, but it helped me change the way I see food. Mostly what I learned from it is how the food I am eating affects my body. So I am eating a lot more protein and a lot more vegetables. Mike and I have also switched to ground turkey instead of ground beef, both for health reasons and for savings. Basically, I learned how to eat food that’s going to give me more energy, and I switched from simple carbohydrates to more complex ones.
October 27th, 2004 at
I say next time Im in NC we go to McD’s Kari. Speaking of which… my trip… I need to talk to you ’bout that sometime.
October 27th, 2004 at
october 27th, 2004 only comes once in your lifetime. time to celebrate!
October 27th, 2004 at
Well, you know, those are all good suggestions, but I was thinking a special occasion like . . . pregnancy. Which is probably not going to be any time soon. hehe.
October 27th, 2004 at
wow, i’m going to be a father!
October 27th, 2004 at
Maybe one day. Not in like, nine months.
October 27th, 2004 at
kari loves fries more than her own children.
October 27th, 2004 at
That’s some jump in logic, right there.
October 27th, 2004 at
The posts on your blog make me think, and the comments on your blog make me laugh.
I think that’s a great balance.
- Kathleen (a.k.a. “that girl”)