I LOVE to Eat...ooh la la

Anyone who knows me well is aware of my love for food.

At one point, I would eat anything that wasn't nailed down. Unfortunately, I looked like someone who was hoovering her food indiscriminately.

Something had to be done--and fast. More alarming than just the way I looked, I felt like crap, and it was becoming obvious that my health was beginning to decline: insulin resistance, higher blood pressure, acid indigestion, achy feet and legs, breathlessness when doing simple walking or light tasks, low energy, intolerance to heat, etc.

One day, I had a serious talk with myself, and I posed this question: how can I go on yet another restrictive diet, when dieting obviously doesn't work well for me, at least in the long run?

Yet, how could I not?

My health was at risk.

It was showdown time.

So, on January 3, 2011, after three and a half months of counting calories (an obsessive activity, I must say) on my own and keeping a food diary, I decided to rejoin Weight Watchers, one of the best decisions I have ever made.

The new Weight Watchers program focuses more on a forever-plan of eating and an easy way to track food. From day one, members are encouraged to embrace all food, not just "diet" foods.

Joan Otto, my Weight Watchers' leader, said it best: "You can eat anything, not just everything."

What a powerful statement, an epiphany for me!

So I'm changing my illicit love affair with food and turning it into a healthy commitment, with full benefits. I will never again long for a piece of pecan pie; if I really want it, I will eat it, but I will do so within reason, and I will plan for it.

Healthy thin people do not deprive themselves of good food: they sample, they indulge, they enjoy, and then they stop eating, even if they don't finish their goodies. They do this naturally and don't even think twice about it.

Alas, I will always need to think about what I put into my mouth and trick myself into stopping eating, even when I want more. That is my reality.

Thankfully, there are some simple techniques I can incorporate into my lifestyle: drawing a line in the sand (eating half and even quarter portions), not keeping large amounts of high-fat treats (e.g., pecan pie) in my home, cooking favorite dishes using healthier ingredients, etc.

I have been eating healthy and well since September 2010 and enjoying some "forbidden" treats along the way.

I have discovered that by embracing all foods, I have started to crave healthy foods, such as vegetables and fruits ("free" foods on the Weight Watchers program), in my everyday life because I know that all food is available and that if I screw up one day, tomorrow is a new day.

So this blog focuses on my love affair will all foods, not just carrots, tomatoes, and oranges.

Now I just gotta do something about that craving for Peppermint Candy Ice Cream...