Eat For Your Health Not Just Weight Loss
July 08, 2022
I have spent pretty much my entire life searching for an easy fix to lose weight. I was overweight by the second grade, and began my first weight loss diet by the fifth grade. I don't remember much about my first weight loss diet other than having to eat beets. I hated beets, and still do not eat them to this day. Nevertheless, I did lose some weight on that beet diet plan, but I gained it all back plus some. The next diet I remember was right after I graduated high school. I watched a television show with a lady that promoted a diet that watched fat percentages in foods. I followed that diet perfectly, along with walking for about two miles each day. Along with watching fat intake I also watched my calories. The big problem with my eating was that my plate was normally filled with egg noodles and white bread. I hadn't learned how good fruits and vegetables were for me at that time. I struggled to get my calories just right, and by the end of the day I would eat an entire box of chocolate pudding mix because I ran short on my calorie goal. I did drop a significant amount of weight, but I was very unhealthy and ended up sick in the hospital and later had to have my gallbladder removed.
Like my fifth grade diet, I gained all the weight back, plus some. Unfortunately, this time I had to continue on with dealing with life without a gallbladder. I would like to tell you that I learned my lesson and figured out that I needed to focus on a healthy diet, and stop focusing on diet fads. Sadly it took me many more years and many more weight loss attempts to finally realize that I have been going about the weight loss game all wrong.
I am not a doctor, nor am I in the healthcare field. In spite of that, I do have some pretty sound advice for anyone that is on their own weight loss journey. You need to start looking at food as a way to get healthy, and not a way to lose weight. If you eat a healthy diet and exercise every day, weight loss will slowly happen on its own! There is no magic pill or a diet routine that will fit all. Going back to my first diet, beets are a very healthy food, but I personally do not like them. For me that diet would never have worked. You can't expect to keep your weight off if you can't turn your diet into a lifestyle change. I have trailered my way of eating so it contains foods that give me nutrition and makes my immune system strong.
Some things I incorporate in my meals are: Plain greek yogurt because it gives me good probiotics for my gut health. Ground flax seeds because they have omega-3's that helps fight off inflammation, and is also good for your cholesterol and blood pressure. I also make sure to eat plenty of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains.
Besides adding healthy foods and exercise, a healthy diet wouldn't be complete without removing processed foods. If you turn over a box, bottle, or can and you can't pronounce an ingredient, then you probably shouldn't eat it. Or if the ingredient list looks more like a chemistry experiment, you probably don't want it. I try to stick with basic natural ingredients and make my own foods.
I now have a well balanced diet that fits my health needs, plus it is a diet that I can continue with for my lifetime.
I hope the recipes I have added to this website helps you with your own diet plan. There may be things here that you might look at like I do beets, but hopefully you can find recipes that you can include in your new lifestyle. Best wishes on finding your own healthy eating journey!