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
ahh i can relate to this so much… there is a vending machine like 10 steps from my door in my dorm and so many fun parties with bday cakes and margaritas and free pizza slices at club meetings. it’s so tough some times too when i go to a college where the girls are known for being pretty and smart! and the guys are very ‘cocky’ and buff lol. your story is great though and i love that you are so open. i’m actually seing a counselor on campus for the first time this friday. it took until my junior year ah but better late than never ;) thanks!
I can really empathize with everything you talked about in terms of college, eating disorders, undereating then binging later on, etc. I was pre-med (key word “was”), and everytime I had a super stressful exam coming up I would go to the 24 hr convenience store and stock up on loads of candy and ice-cream… I kinda thought the food would take away the stress in a way… anyhow, thanks so much for posting this – its reassuring to hear how its possible to get healthy and happy without resorting to Eds
LOVE THE FASHION SHOW! By the way, my undergrad program was a 10 to 1 girl guy ratio and my grad program is a 20 to 1 girl guy ratio! No wonder I may soon be giving it all up and checking into a convent :)
Have a great sunday!
that clothing is so adorable!!
“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.”
Love this and love the Freshman 15 story!!!
LOL did you go to UWO by any chance?
your lululemon shape jacket looks too cuteeee :) i can’t wait to get mine now even more! love your ohsheglows clothing, everything is adorable! and i am also in love with your freshman 15 stories you post. awesome post girly :)
Hi Angela,
I was wondering if you got my contest entry? I just want to make sure that it went through!
Thanks
Hey Supergirl! I still wonder where you find the time to do all that you do. Obviously I can’t give you a “woman’s” point of view, but from a man’s point they look great. You have so many ideas in that brain of your’s.
Awesome!
(psst.. the music was a tad louder than your voice- had a little trouble hearing)
I can relate to your Uni stories/advice all too well.. which i’m sure you know. I think every point you made I would 110% agree with :)
Oh my gosh…reading this blog brings tears to my eyes!! I have struggled with my weight/body image for years!! I am 22, during college I never gained 15 pounds I was absolutley insistent that I wasn’t going to be a statistic! But I went the extreme opposite. Growing up I regulary indulged in my mother’s baked goods and food dripping in cheese and didn’t understand the word “nutritional value, portion size or calorie!” I went to school and took a couple of nutrition classes as a part of my major and because obsessed. I went from a size 14 to a size 2. But now I am having the hardest time with the balance! I know that my body could use more food, but I have lost focus and get trapped in the binge and purge cycle of eating and exercise! Reading your blog has really helped me come to terms with some issues that I have and that I need to find a balance. It is so hard because I have moved back home for a time and I find myself being overly critical of others about what they eat and then caving in and then feeling horribly GUILTY!! The thing is- I never feel hungry and when I eat I never feel full (I just don’t understand) I know that I need to talk to someone- but I live in the middle of no where-on a farm in IDAHO and everyone who sees me just says “I need to eat a hamburger” I feel so LOST!! Because all I do is eat and exercise. THANK You for your love and encouragement, I know that I can get through this because it is seriously too much of a concern and it should be more FUN and not so stressful!! I can find a balance, if you have any ideas..Please…Let me know!!
Hey, thank you so much for this series! It’s really nice to know that this is an issue on all campuses, not just mine. I think issues with food and body image may be even more extreme here, as I attend a women’s college. We’re surrounded by women of every body type, and it’s really hard not to compare ourselves and our food choices to the “glamazons.” I’ve been working really hard to find that right balance and these are some really great tips :)
Hey, I just read this series and it really has helped me a lot. I am a freshman in colege right now, and although I’ve only gained about 4 or 5 pounds since I got here (not that big of a deal as I am 5′ 8”), I would really like to drop this weight and start getting a more toned body. I had a question for you: my gym is about a mile and a half from my dorm (I go to University of Washington which is a crazy big campus) so I can usually only make it up there 3 days a week, where I do 45 min on the elliptical, abs, and arm/leg weights. I also walk to class every day, it’s about a 20 minute walk and I’m also walking back. Is this enough to start seeing results in the next couple of months? Or should I find a way to up my routine?
Sorry for the long post!
Oh dang and I misspelled college. Oops.