what exercise and food mean to me

Okay I have a confession to make, I was once OBSESSED with exercise and eating a certain number of calories a day. I believed I was going to get "fat" from not doing my usual 4 mile run that day. I would in no way starve myself (I ate constantly because I was ALWAYS hungry from working out so much), but I would be paranoid about eating something "bad" and then feeling like I should go workout. This my friends is clearly unhealthy.

In January of last year I decided to cut out alcohol, soda, and fast food. I still do not drink soda or eat fast food but a few times a year. Not only that but I began working out, I'm talking full blown crazy amounts of calories burned by running and then lifting weights. Oh yeah, in no time I looked like a 12 year old boy who participated in body building competitions. This is definitely a good look, I mean who doesn't want to date a woman who has a 9 pack with no ass or boobs? S-E-X-Y. My lilbuttlilmelons (joke from 8th grade) became nobuttnomelons. Bathing suit tops were unflattering on my bony chest and the smallest of dress pants enhanced my shapeless body (think Black Swan Natalie Portman, yeaaaahhhh... gross). This is also in hindsight, at the time I seriously thought I looked good.

I was always running and constantly sore. My calves always felt horrible! Running was not fun anymore, it become a chore. I wouldn't order what I REALLY wanted at restaurants. I was eating plain oatmeal with banana for breakfast (BOR-ING!! love me some muesli, though). I finally started adding certain things to my life, butter and good beer, for example, and I also stopped my crazy obsessive workout regimes. Guess what... I have not become "fat."

I enjoy food, I no longer worry if food is "bad." I no longer torture my body and force it to "work out." I do not go to the gym anymore. I find pleasure in doing pilates, yoga, tennis, and running when I FEEL LIKE IT. If I want to sit on my ass that day and not lift a finger, than that is what I will do. On the other hand, if I have an urge to contribute to my deafness for when I get older (what can I say, I love loud music) while I run then I will do so too!

As cliche as it sounds, "everything in moderation" really is true. Too much of anything is a bad thing. Too much exercise can be a bad thing. Too much butter can be a bad thing too. Listen to your body, it is a smart thing. If you're sore, take a break, if you're full, stop eating, if you're hungry, eat. Why follow all these fad diets or crazy workouts telling us to eat every 2 hours, cut out carbs, eat lots of protein, and one of the best ones... the shake weight HAHA. I think too much thought is going into it. If you are pulling up to drive thrus and ordering the #2 on a regular basis then it will show. Eat REAL food. I think this is the main key. Read ingredients (if you're buying processed foods) and if you have no idea what something is, you probably shouldn't buy it. Don't beat yourself up if you eat a pint of ice cream in one sitting (true story every time I buy ice cream, I love you Haagen Daz). We should listen to our bodies, and my body never says no to ice cream, cue R. Kelly- my mind's tellin me noooo, but my body, my body's tellin me yes. Park further away from the door entrance and WALK, exercise your dog every day, go to the park, whatever you feel like doing. Don't go by a number on the scale, go by how YOU feel.

Now I enjoy food and am naturally active. Life's too short to spend the majority of your time working out and obsessing over the protein to carbs to fat ratio. A good thing that has come from me cutting back my exercise is that I am not hungry every 10 minutes anymore... now it's only every 30 minutes ;), oh and I can feel my boobies again!


Here's a picture from July 2010 and a picture of Cameron Diaz February 2011. She's the perfect example of someone going a little too far. Same no cleavage chest, different body. But forget the chest, look at her stomach!! I just barfed a little.