I received this book as a gift from my Amazon.com wish list some time ago. And I'm finally, finally reading it. I've figured out I can take fun paperback novels (my psych book is way too large and requiring of full attention and underlining) to the gym and read them on the recumbent bike.
As people are pedaling or running around me, I often laugh, or am shocked that my bike is beeping at me that it's time to get off. Books that do that are amazing. So I thought I'd share my favorite page of the book that I'm reading with you. I like this one because the author's philosophy is not unlike my own at this stage. It makes my life, which often feels completely crazy -- sane.
The book is called The Fat Girl's Guide to Life" by Wendy Shanker.
Eat Me
"I'm not going to tell you what to eat. If you're reading this book, my hunch is you know plenty about nutrition and diets already. I can tell you what I do, if you borrow elements of it, knock yourself out.
I try to eat a balanced diet. That means lean protein (chicken, turkey, fish, tofu, etc.), carbs (whole wheat flour instead of white flour, brown rice instead of white rice), fruit (a real piece of fruit for the fiber, instead of sugary juice), veggies (never enough), dairy (women NEED dairy), a little sweat, a little fat. I try to eat lots of little meals instead of three big meals; I tend to feel fuller and digest food better that way. I eat breakfast every day. I take vitamins. I drink lots of water. I enjoy an alcoholic bevvie now and then. I try to avoid soda. I try to avoid sodium. I rarely eat fast food. I read food labels. I try not to eat a lot of processed or prepackaged foods, especially foods with trans fats or hydrogenated oil in them. I don't like a lot of sauces or dressing or butter, so they're easy for me to avoid. I try not to eat late at night. I try not to starve myself till I'm famished; I try to stop when I'm full.
I try not to deprive myself; I've found that it's better for me to eat one piece of bread out of the bread basket at the restaurant than a whole loaf later. I'm a lot less worried about eating what I want than eating what I don't want.
How many calories do I consume in a day? I guess around two thousand. Do I ever eat more than that? Sure. Do I ever eat less than that? Sure. Do I eat popcorn at the movies? If I want to. Do I eat a hot dog on a whim on a hot summer day? Every once in a while. Do I order dessert in a fancy restaurant? Let's hope so; I never understand people who order the twenty-dollar fruit plate. Do I eat dessert every night? No. Do I eat too much? From time to time. Do I eat too little? From time to time. Do I push back from the table and say loudly, "Oh, I ate so much, I'm really going to pay for this at the gym tomorrow!" Never. No one wants to hear it, least of all me.
Do I feel crazy about food? Much less than I ever have before..."
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