Unhealthy eating habits I used to have
I reached my heaviest weight while in University. I was 22 years old and over 250lbs at 5’4. When I reflect and think about my old habits that had led me to that point in my life, I can’t help but chuckle at how bad I used to be with food. Yet at this time, I would also think that the way I was eating wasn’t that bad, and my metabolism was just slow.
In college I used to order a large pepperoni pizza, with extra cheese, and a side of brownies or cookies, and down it all with a soda, or sugary fruit juice (If I got juice instead of soda, it made my meal healthy right?). I’d finish this all in one night while watching tv, and it’s so interesting thinking about how big my appetite was back then, and how I got used to eating to the point of being physically uncomfortable. I did this maybe 2x a week, on top of many fast food visits.
When I got fast food, I’d always swap out the sodas for milkshakes. The cheeseburger with raw onions, fries and a chocolate/strawberry mix milkshake at In-N-Out was one of my favorite things. Anytime I’d stop at the gas station, or grocery store, I’d have to grab some Little Debbie cupcakes, honeybuns or oatmeal cream pies, and a Reeses candy (Reeses Pieces, Fastbreak Bar or Reeses Cup). Reeses are still my go to candy of choice, but now I have them once every blue moon, as opposed to once a day like how I did when I was younger.
I can’t tell you how many times I'd stuff candy or bags of food in my backpack, hoping that other people didn’t see me carrying it. Or how I would hide food in various places in my bedroom, or in the pantry hoping my siblings wouldn’t find it, so that I could save it for another day. It’s wild looking back and thinking about how I used to eat, how little I knew about food and nutrition and how helpless I felt about ever losing the weight.
How have my eating habits changed since losing weight?
Now that I’m ~60lbs down and more informed on nutrition and health, these are the ways my relationship with food has changed.
I’ve started to think about how foods make me feel and noticing how they impact my mood, my digestion and my body. I can and still do eat pizza, but eating more than a few slices, or eating to the point of being physically uncomfortable is something I no longer do. I stop eating when I start feeling satisfied, whereas before I would keep eating just because I liked the taste.
I can actually put food back when I’m done. I don’t have much of an issue measuring out my portion, and putting the rest away (unless it’s peanut butter…but I just try to avoid eating spoonfuls of peanut butter period lol).
When I’m craving something, I try to cook it instead of eating out. I enjoy cooking and have found that 9/10 times it actually taste better when I prepare it at home. Maybe the ingredients are fresher? Maybe it’s because I’ve gotten more sensistive to heavy oils & butter? I’m not sure, but I swear things usually taste better when they are homecooked. There have been too many times when I’ve given in to a craving, and while eating it, I am massively disappointed.
I still eat ultra-proccessed foods at times, but what’s different is that as soon as I find myself craving them, I stop eating them. Highly processed foods are engineered and made to be highly addictive. So as soon as I start craving that food or snack daily, I stop consuming it completely. I like to take a full week to “cleanse my system”, by only eating what I cook at home. Recognizing that some foods are made to be addictive and noticing when my body starts falling into that addiction, has really helped me limit how often I eat these foods, and empowers me to fight the cravings.
Instead of turning to food or sweets when im feeling down, I like to use other outlets that I know will improve my mood.
Another shift I’ve noticed is when I’m eating at a restaurant. I used to prioritize eating what tasted good, or what I was craving. Now I’m much more focused on balancing my plate, eating within the budget I may have set, eating what’s in season, or what would be healthy for me. I also have come to love trying new foods, but when I was heavier I would only try new foods when I could afford to also order something I knew I would like.
I actually crave vegetables nowdays! I also look forward to trying new veggies and finding fun ways to cook them.
I don’t feel like I need bread, or even meat with every single meal.
The better I eat, the worse some of my old foods taste. My tastebuds have changed so much. Not to say that junk food, or fast food doesn’t taste good, but many things just don’t taste as good as I remember them.
I’m sure as this journey continues and as life goes on, I’ll learn and experience even more changes in regards to my relationship with food. But looking back on how far I have come and the changes my thought process, my habits, my appetite, and taste buds have undergone is fascinating to me. I hope to hear about your experiences as well. Please share with the community members on WhatsApp and Facebook!
