What I Really Know about Healthy Eating: A Diet Makeover

I’m now 50 years old, 5 feet 1 inch, and 100 pounds. But I used to weigh more. In my early 20s, my weight hovered around 130. On a small frame, that amount appears heavy.

Growing up in New Orleans with its decadent food, I often had three helpings at dinner, even using my French bread to soak up sauce left on my plate. I also spent my school lunch money on chunky bars and chips.

When my nickname became Chunky, I understood the line, “You are what you eat.” All my sweet treats showed. I felt so disgusted hiding out in baggy clothes, and I hated the puffy face in my mirror.

I tried every diet plan, convinced the next one would be the sure winner. Nothing worked. I gained more weight. I then succumbed to bulimia, certain I could rid the calories by purging them. I’d consume enormous amounts of diet foods along with the “bad foods” I’d sneak in between. I kept this vicious cycle in motion to the detriment of both my health and well-being.

One day I looked in the mirror after a binge-purge session, and tears rolled down my cheeks. I didn’t recognize this person. I dropped onto the cold, tiled floor, cried until I had nothing left, and prayed for deliverance from my poor choices.

After a while, I felt something lift. I weighed the same, yet I felt lighter. I glanced in the mirror and saw resolve shine through my eyes. I drove to a sporting goods store and purchased running clothes. I bought a journal to write down everything I ate. I threw out anything connected to dieting, subscribed to health magazines, purchased books on nutrition and began choosing foods that promote health and provide energy, like fresh fruit and vegetables, grains, eggs and fish.

I realized diets don’t work over the long haul. Healthy eating is being mindful of what I put into my mouth. It’s eating only when I’m hungry. It’s intentionally choosing foods that make me feel good. It is also eating slowly to honor the whole process of having a meal, which prompts me to consume less.

I do sometimes splurge on a dessert when I’m out, because healthy eating is not about deprivation. It’s simply a mindful practice.