Here's the thing about me. I love food. I love to make food, I love to try food. In fact, there have been times that my love for food has become almost unhealthy. I am what some would consider a "foodie."
Most recently, I reached a point where I looked at a picture of myself and was completely unhappy with what I saw. There I was, leaned against the railing at the pier, standing next to two other girls. They looked gorgeous, but as I looked at myself, I could only think of that dreaded f-word. I looked fat.
Immediately, I decided to make a small change. Knowing that I was working a job that kept me at a desk for 7.5 hours a day, I decided to change my eating habits to better fit my activity level. However, I was still drinking my sugary coffee drinks and I was still enjoying my semi-weekly Pepsi.
When school started back up, my activity level went up but my energy levels went down. I was consuming way more caffeine than was healthy for me just to feel like I was prepared to take on my daily life. I was miserable. I was unhealthy. I was still fat.
Then, one night during a game of Ultimate Frisbee, I realized just how out of shape I was. I was frustrated, out of breath and utterly miserable. In my frustration I texted a few of the people closest to me, making the claims I had made so many times before; I was going to make a change. I was too tired of this to continue living this way.
But, something different happened this time. One of my friends, instead of just affirming my decision started talking real talk with me. He introduced me to the If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) Calculator. The concept is that you track your macronutrients (fats, carbs and protein) and set a certain goal. My current goal is to be eating 30% fats, 30% carbs and 40% protein every day.
The other thing my friend explained was ways to improve my eating habits, meet those goals and still feel like I'd had enough to eat. He had suggestions for foods to try, snacks I could have and even ways to satisfy my sweet craving.
I started tracking my macronutrients. I started eating things that were better for me than the greasy, deep fried stuff I had been eating before. I cut out Pepsi completely and cut way back on my sugary coffee drinks. And I noticed that I felt better. I had energy. I wasn't ever hungry. For the first time in a very long time, I just felt good.
I started noticing that my clothes were fitting differently, but I felt like when I looked in the mirror, there was no difference. Then, I looked back at the picture that had initially sparked my unhappiness and put it side by side with a picture from an event at school and realized that my 39 pound weight loss was actually noticeable.
And this time it was different. It was not a crash diet, where I had a goal, reached the goal and stopped dieting. This is a lifestyle change. It's the choice to choose things that are better for me overall. I'm feeling supported by my friends and family instead of trying to hide my insecurities.
The best part about the IIFYM program is that I don't ever feel like I'm missing out on something. I never feel like I'm having to skimp or like I'm being deprived.
I feel happy, healthy and a million times better.
