Starting From Scratch

I have to say, I feel majorly gipped. For decades I was raised by the massive marketing world to think that "low-fat", "sugar-free", "fat-free" and "light" should be in every morsel of food I consumed. It was instilled in me that nutrition labels should have ingredients I can't pronounce because that is how and why you will lose the weight. It was the healthy and correct way to eat. Those scientists knew what they were doing and the FDA wouldn't approve anything that wasn't safe for you, right?

Always ten to twenty pounds overweight and never content, I would sit there baffled, eating my sugar-free yogurt and drinking my diet soda and wonder why I wasn't losing weight. What was I doing wrong? Sadly, I have come to discover, absolutely everything.

When I wasn't trying to lose weight I lived off fast food. I know, the irony. I was an addict and yo-yo dieter extraordinaire. I would go through the drive-thru and sit in my car, hiding from the world and stuffing my face. Why? Because I couldn't lose weight. When I was doing everything right and trying oh so hard, why was the scale not budging? I just didn't understand it. I would cry and curse and pound my fists against the steering wheel in defeat. That would be followed by a horrible sense of guilt for wolfing down that Double Decker Taco Supreme, continued by more crying. Blasting Sarah McLachlan helped to ease the pain. I was the epitome of the emotional eater. Needless to say, in my failed attempt to be "healthy" for a month straight, I'd end up gaining back the 2 lbs  in one sitting that I had so vigilantly tried to lose. It was a vicious cycle and it needed to end. 

So once again I decided if I couldn't lose weight by eating "healthy" and exercising, then I needed assistance - if it wasn't Phen Fen, then it was Adipex, or Alli, or HCG that would save me from my disgusting fat! They promised it would work, they promised the weight would stay off - but even after losing 32 lbs in 30 days taking HCG drops and literally starving myself sick, I gained it back in a month - just by looking at food. I didn't realize I was ruining my body. I thought I was helping it become the best it could be - a healthy new me. Instead, I was wreaking havoc on my metabolism, throwing my thyroid out of whack and making my liver and kidneys cry out for mercy. I could have died on numerous occasions with the molotov cocktail of chemicals and stimulants I was putting in my body. I realize now I'm lucky to be alive. 

My big EUREKA! moment happened last year. At the age of 35 I became a mother and I knew at that moment that I never wanted my son to endure the pain - both literally and figuratively - of being overweight. I decided to educate myself when it came to living a true healthy lifestyle, and not by what the media has led me to believe.

The first thing I came across was bringing things back to basics. Eating clean and raw. Real food. I had to eliminate processed foods and stop drinking diet soda. Excuse me? That's all I knew! If it was advertised on television, I bought it. I went by brand names my entire life - knew every logo and cereal character by memory. Aspartame was my friend. Changing my way of thinking has, and will continue to be for awhile I imagine, the most difficult mental task to accomplish. I have to retrain my brain to not reach for the processed foods. No more buying things that are "1/2 the fat", no more frozen Lean Cuisines. I have recently become comfortable staying on the outer perimeter of the super market and avoiding those GMO ridden aisles and I've even ventured into health food stores and left with armloads of actual, 100% bona fide food. I am proud of my progress thus far, but I have a long way to go. There is just SO MUCH to learn! For instance, did you know that cow's milk has millions of puss cells and is stocked with antibiotics and growth hormones? I didn't. I thought it was good to drink but apparently it's not anymore. So now I'm trying out coconut and almond milks to see which one my 14 month old prefers. It becomes a bit overwhelming going back to basics, but I'll get there. Baby steps.

The first thing I did, and have continued to do as it is now a lifestyle change, is to STOP DIETING. Diets don't work. They aren't long term. Putting artificial sweeteners and chemicals into my body ruined me. I refuse to do that to my son. I will take the time to buy and prepare real food for him. Sure, packaged foods are more convenient, but that's why America is suffering from obesity, me included. Everyone is in a constant rush. Go! Go! Go! Working late? Pop in a DiGiorno, the kids will be fine. But they won't be. They'll be developing more fat cells to battle into adulthood. We need to take the time to prep. You can make a killer pizza at home with all natural ingredients. This is what I will be teaching myself next.

If you would like to learn how to live a healthy lifestyle along with me, check in once a week to read my latest blog. And if you're on Facebook, join my free weight loss and support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/heilishealthyhaven/ where I post daily tips, recipes and motivation. We have fun there!

Thanks for reading!

Heili

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Weekly Recipe:

Zucchini Boats

Just cut a zucchini in half lengthwise and trim a little off the bottom so it sits still in a baking dish*** Scoop out the center where the seeds are with a spoon*** Brush the surface with a mixture of crushed garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper*** Arrange halved grape tomatoes into the grooves, sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes*** Remove and place diced fontina or mozzarella in between the tomatoes, place them back in, but now under the broiler til golden and bubbling***Remove and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkling of grated parmesan. You will love this as a side dish!