Family Jeans

How is it even possible that when my dad is over 6 feet tall and my mom is 5’9” I end up being 5’4”? Everyone in my family is tall. Although my mom has struggled with weight a bit over the years, the rest of my family is thin!

My mom is one of those few people that I know that lost a bunch of weight. She went from a size 18 to a size 10/12. She did by buying her own business and getting so stressed out that she didn’t eat anymore.

When I get stressed do I stop eating? Heck no! I eat more. More chocolate, more sugar, more pop, more pizza. More anything unhealthy! When most people get mono don’t they lose weight? Not me. I gain it. After trying Atkins for 2 months I was doing well with weight loss of almost 40 pounds. I kept it off for 6 months. Then I got mono. Then I got pregnant. Then I went on bed-rest.

Excuses, excuses. I know. But why do we think we need to make excuses when everyone, including ourselves, know there are none? I try to justify it in my mind. “This is the reason I can’t lose weight…” or “If I just stop eating then I will be thin…” Then there is my favorite, “If I don’t let anyone see me eating it, I didn’t really eat it.” Heehee. Because all of those calories and all that fat understand that logic!

My step-mom used to tell me I was fat. Not only did she tell me I was fat but she used to buy me clothes that were too small on purpose. She used to tell me that I needed to stop eating. I would live with my dad and step-mom for a month in the summer and during that time I would be forced to live on a diet. A small bowl of cheerios for breakfast “NO SUGAR!” She would remind me of this every morning. A salad with very little dressing at lunch. My step-sister got to monitor me because she was older than me (by about 7 years – she was a size 0). An apple for a snack mid-afternoon. (Why not let me add peanut butter to it or something to help make it more exciting?) And then whatever we were having for supper.
Folks…I was 8.

Does that sound healthy? Yes. Does that sound plausible for an 8-year-old? Yes. (Well, except for the “no sugar!” on the cereal). What it helpful? No.

Now that I am a mom myself, I try to give my kids healthy choices. I offer my daughter a banana or an apple for a snack. If she doesn’t want fruit I try peanut butter and crackers or some meat and cheese. I try to make snack time fun. Does anyone else remember “Ants on a Log”? (celery, peanut butter & raisins)

So, if I can do it for my kids – give them healthy choices I mean – then why aren’t I doing it for myself? Do you remember being little and only eating when you were hungry? I don’t. I am thankful everyday that my kids do and I encourage them to stop when they are full and to eat when they are hungry. And when my daughter comes up and says, “Mom, can I have strawberries?” (she is 4), I thank myself for at least having enough good sense to help teach my child to make healthy eating habits.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” ~ Thomas Edison