beginnings

Let’s attempt to get this show on the road!

First, a little about myself:

My name is Carol, I’m a 3rd year college student and have an undying love for all things food-related. I’ve recently embarked on a journey to improve my lifestyle by eating healthier and cleaner as well as supplementing my eating decisions with more exercise and physical activity. Starting this year, I’m not joining any on-campus meal plan or dining group so I’m basically left to my own devices. A perfect opportunity to go culinarily crazy!

Some history: my relationship with food has been turbulent and a little messy over the past year and a half — I set out to lose weight about a year ago and went about it in all the wrong ways. I’ve always been a bit of a chubby child with a ravenous appetite and indiscriminate love for all kinds of food. My parents never pressured me to change or did anything to negatively affect my self image. At the same time, they also told me it was all genetics, and I couldn’t do anything about it anyway. Well, I was fairly unsatisfied with my body by the end of freshman year and so set off to do something about it (and being a rebellious teen, I just had to prove my parents wrong). The weight came off, yes, but I lost a lot more along with it, namely my energy, vitality, and immune system. I felt weak and cold constantly and would get sick frequently. My skin developed a plethora of problems like eczema and allergy attacks. I was thin, yes, but miserable.

Since then, I’ve come to realize, mostly through the help of a lot of fitness and food bloggers out there, that it’s really more about quality and not quantity. I don’t have to restrict how much I eat, but instead aim to eat foods that are nutritionally whole without all the bad stuff. That way, I can still stuff my gob and feel good about it, both mentally and physically :).

So where am I now? I’m currently maintaining a weight I feel good at through healthy eating and regular exercise. I’ve reformed my food intake to include a lot of fruits, veggies, nuts, whole grains, and healthy fats. I like to call myself a “flexitarian” - I don’t really eat meat, especially red meat, but on special occasions (like if my mom is cooking something delish), I’ll nom on a little. I’ve also gotten into the habit of working out regularly and aim to keep it up throughout the school year. I still have a long way to go, but I’m excited for the road ahead. It’s amazing how much I’ve learned in a year and I’m super ready to be in tip top shape so I can fully enjoy the best years of my life.