Good Afternoon!
We had a fabulous breakfast this morning that we all took a hand in preparing! I mixed up my fabulous Kale & Banana smoothie to show everyone. My sis Kerrie took a sip and said “You are right, it isn’t very sweet!” hehe. Not sure if she was sold on it yet or not. ;)
I made pancakes from scratch and Kerrie made scrambled eggs. We also had toast and heated up a cheese & onion pie that Kerrie brought from home.
Me whizzing around the kitchen:
Scrambled eggs with cherry tomatoes, pancakes, and toast. (We had the pancakes and toast warming in the oven til we were ready!)
The cheese & Onion pie:
Everyone around the table (I took the pic): Starting with Eric at the bottom, my future sister in law Nicole, my sister Kerrie, my brother Chris (he and Nicole are engaged and getting married in September), and brother in law Steve (Kerrie’s husband)!!
I had my Kale & Banana smoothie, 2 pieces of Ezekiel toast with hummus, cherry tomatoes and a tiny bit of egg. I also took a pancake but I was not in the mood for it, so I gave it to Eric. I have to be in the mood for sweet things in the AM!
The recipe for the pancakes I got from All Recipes. Good Old Fashioned Pancakes rated 4.5 stars out of 1,900 votes!!! I love this recipe. So quick and delicious.
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And now for the next installment of Beating The Freshman 15- finally!
Beating the Freshman 15: Part 4
Missed these?
How to fix the weight gain traps (continued)…
6) Dieting, Eating Disorders, and Social Comparison:
For those of us who have been to college or university, we know that dieting and eating disorders are rampant on campuses. I was no stranger to my own struggles with food throughout university. Stress seemed to come from every which way from heavy course loads to tight fitting pants. I would often eat through my emotions by either binge eating or undereating, depending on how I was feeling. It creates a horrible cycle that is really hard to break out of. I would often get by during the day on virtually nothing, and then binge at night if I was having a particularly stressful day. It was all too easy to sneak down to the vending machine at night and get a chocolate bar or bag of candy. Then there was the relationship stress too. Eric and I have been together since highschool and being at university was really tough on our relationship at times. There are new people, new hangouts, new classes, new experiences, etc. University was a really trying time for our relationship to say the least. Often I would use food as a way to deal with all of these stressors. And of course weight gain would make me even more depressed, and that would lead to more overeating and a desire to drop the pounds fast by undereating.
The social comparison was tough for me while at school. Being on a campus that was predominantly female, I struggled with social comparison and not feeling good enough or skinny enough compared to other girls. No one wants to be the odd one out, especially when you are feeling vulnerable and trying to find yourself. However, what I realized, very slowly albeit, was that the problem wasn’t with my body! Yes, I did gain weight and needed to lose some in a healthy manner so that my body could function at its’ best, BUT…my problem was mainly with my own self-esteem and perception more than anything. Even at a normal weight, entering university, I still didn’t feel like I measured up. To be honest, I never felt like I measured up my whole life. I realized that I needed to deal with these issues before I would ever feel good enough. But it was a while before I started going to see a fabulous and caring counsellor on campus. I only wish I had done it sooner. She helped show me that my mind was what needed changing much more than my body. Lightbulb moment. Along with her help, I gradually started down a long and winding road toward accepting myself and trying to be at peace with my body.
I learned to write down my feelings instead of feeding them.
My advice is simple. Stop the social comparisons with other friends or strangers. We are given 1 body and whether we like it or not, it’s the one we will always have. Not everyone is meant to be a size 4. You have to work with your body in your path to health. Once I found my groove (and I didn’t find this until half way through my 1 year in my Master’s degree!) you will know it. You will be able to maintain your weight easily and your body will be in a good place. I always say that if you are struggling and giving 110% just to maintain the weight you are at now, it is too low for you. This kind of battle is not something that you are going to be happy doing long-term. Be sensible. Find a healthy weight for yourself and take small steps each day to achieve it. Once I realized that health was way more than a number on the scale, I didn’t feel as strong a need to fit into a pair of jeans by Friday. The need wasn’t as immediate when you know that you are in this for the long haul.
Change takes time. I started taking healthier steps gradually over the 5 years I was in my undergraduate program, and things JUST started clicking for me in the past 2 years. Things take time so don’t let yourself get discouraged. Habits can take months and sometimes years to break. For a while I thought I would never be able to break away from the starvation/binging cycles, but I did. It is amazing when you give your body the food it needs, binges become almost obsolete. When you deal with the feelings and emotions at hand, you realize that maybe a bag of chips won’t solve anything after all.
Some people change when they see the light, others when they feel the heat.
~Caroline Schoeder