True Confessions Of A Foodie On A Diet

By Lisa M on February 9th, 2010

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Editor’s Note: Here at Twirlit, we encourage our writers to write not only about the stories of the day, but also about those pressing, personal, and sometimes annoying issues that cause them to want to furiously write a blog post. You may have read many of Lisa M’s articles about love, sex, or even Sarah Palin, but what you may not know is that she’s an uber-smart gal who wants to get healthy without resorting to drastic behavior. Each week, Lisa will be writing her diary of her journey to get to where she wants to be. No judging allowed. And without further ado…

Today is a scary day.  I weigh 150 pounds. That’s not the scary part.  Writing it for you to read was.

At 31, I am officially 30 pounds heavier than I was ten years ago.  I am sure every woman fantasizes about weighing what they weighed when they were 21.  I don’t want that to be a fantasy.  I want it to be my reality.

But first, let me tell you how I got to be where I am today.  Upon high-school graduation, I was a healthy, 135-pound, 5′6″, teenage girl.  I had a great boyfriend whom I would eventually marry and eventually divorce.  I ate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Sundaes to my heart’s content and ordered extra cheese on my pizza that was to be dipped in ranch dressing.  Oh, life was delicious.

I went to college, lived in my dorm, and met a beautiful friend.  She was gorgeous and she was thin.  She ran every day, counted all her calories, and got a lot of attention from her hot bod.  She weighed 115 pounds and was 5′6, just like me.  I vowed to be as thin as she was.  So I counted calories, ran every day, wrote down everything I ate, and got down to 117 pounds.  I thought I’d be thrilled, but I was miserable.  My boyfriend would ask me to eat more, telling me I was getting too thin, but I wouldn’t listen.  I ended up in therapy for an eating disorder. I gained about five pounds by the time I was 21 and had a healthier relationship with food.

Each year that went by, I slowly put on a few more pounds.  Then I was diagnosed with mitral-valve prolapse and I started fainting like it was the cool thing to do.  My doctor told me I needed more salt and more fat in my diet.  It was my free pass back in to the world of french fries and cheeseburgers and the coveted sundaes and pizza of my teen years.

I continued to eat on the weight for the same reason most women do.  I was comfortable, in a stable relationship, and I was focused on my career and finishing my Master’s Degree.  I had no time to think about diet and exercise.  As I continued to eat on the weight, I also went through the toughest time of my life.  At age 26, I was getting divorced.

I spent the next few years losing and gaining the same ten pounds.  I’d get serious about losing the weight that made me feel uncomfortable then put it back on.

But now, at 31, I feel like I am finally in the right frame of mind to do something healthy that I’ve been putting off.  The difference this time?  I’m doing it for me. I’m not losing weight to look better for a date. I’m not losing weight so my significant other will love me more.

My plan is to eat healthy, whole foods and exercise.  No gimmicks. No meal plans.  My only tools are a whole foods cook book, a food diary, and my 24 Hour Fitness Membership.

I’m documenting my journey to give people an honest glimpse of the difficulties and hard work it takes to lose weight.  Please share your stories, tips, and advice.

Here’s to a successful first week.

(Dieting Diary will be updated each Friday).