I have some very bad eating habits and I need to seriously change that behavior. First off, I think it all started after my football days in High School ended. I didn't have my routine and support system anymore, therefore I started sliding backward. I'm getting up late at night and eat. I do believe a lot of these late-night habits are due to stress and trying to find a way to get something that's right for me to do. Other things are; I have no filter on portion sizes, no matter what time of day the meal is. Lastly, I'm feeling guilty about it and it's making it worse. I don't see myself trying to throw it up but, I don't see myself binging either but, the guilt is still there. I don't want to gain any more pounds on me for reasons like diabetes, non-fatty liver, or just overall obesity. To make matters worse I have this condition called scoliosis, which is a curvature of the spine and it does get worse in time, depending on the percentage of the curve and whether it's feasible to fix. My gut is getting bigger and it's putting so much pressure on my back. It's affecting my sleep patterns as well and I'm not even resting properly. I worry about, heart attacks and cancer knowing that this is shorting my life.
I've gone to the Nutritionist and it doesn't seem to work. I think it's because the foods they suggest are pricy and I feel you shouldn't have to pay such a high price to be fit. This makes me frustrated and I just give up. I know that what we eat is probably the main culprit, along with environmental stress. It's not like it was back in my grandparents' days when everything was fresh from the farm's way of life. Everything nowadays has preservatives and fillers, among other chemicals they put in it to make it look good, have texture, and be what they call fresh.
To figure out, what exactly needs to change, I need to collect some data on my eating habits. First, I need to record any food or drink in the last 24 hours. Then, I need to record any food or drink for the next 5 days. Plus, I need to put down the quantity of food. Also, I will use the food frequency questionnaire to obtain information about my portion size and beverage consumption. Finally, I will use a graph to show in detail the collective summary of data obtained.
After all the data has been collected, I will, therefore, make a plan to change my behavior using the Transtheoretical Model (TTM). Before, I didn't intend to change but, then I started thinking more about the pros part for changing my eating behavior. The Pros: I will become healthier, feel greater, have a Body image (meaning fit into my clothes properly), Live a longer life, and my sleep will become more restful or sounder. On the other hand, I don't want to change my behavior because I am eating healthy, sometimes and so I'm a little perplexed. Next, I am intended to start changing my eating habits and yes, I am more aware of the pros of changing. I do want to change but, I am too busy with school and the added stress makes it hard to change. I think therefore I will start after the first semester ends, for me personally that the fall semester is usually a stressful one. I know once this takes effect, I will become a much healthier person inside and out. I've known people who have changed their overall eating habits and their lives have changed for the better. They have even said they felt better afterward. I do get conversations with my family and others to change my eating habits because they me feel better again. They see the pounds adding on and they are worried about my overall health. They have told me, 'you're going to have a heart attack or die young if don't do something', even my Doctor has weighed in too. After all these voiced concerns and my inner conscious too, I think therefore I will listen to my family, mostly my mom. I feel that I am ready to change my eating habits and I am most encouraged by my mom. She is not just my parent but, she's my most trusted friend and will always be there for support. I will tell my mom about my plan to change my eating habits in detail. I will act on this with great conviction and I will not give up.
Next, I am taking these actions to change my eating habits. Here is my plan and I will take these actions in baby-step fashion. I will have 5 small meals each day, instead of three big meals. As I mentioned before, we tend to overeat and the first thing you want to do is sleep. I know, that happens a lot to me. In addition, I'm going to try to reduce my portion sizes by 20%. I will take my time when eating my food and chew properly not, gulp it down. I will eat more vegetables and not be picky about those. I won't take a second helping like I always do. I need to push myself away from the table. I will also, refuse to eat other people's meals when they ask, 'Do you want this, I can't eat it?' I will eat more meals with my family at the dinner table but, this choice depends on the mood at the table though. I will teach myself to eat when I am hungry and stop when I am comfortably full. I will eat proper healthy snacks every few hours Lastly, I will stop eating when I am so nervous.
Overall, I will maintain my healthy eating habits. I will seek support from my mom to keep me from slipping back into the old rut. I will increase the rewards that come from positive behavior and reduce those that come from negative behavior. I understand my healthy behavior is an important part of who I am and, what I need to be. I will understand this change through information, education, and personal feedback about my healthy behavior. I will also understand how my unhealthy behavior affects others and how my action could have more positive effects from this change. Finally, by using these strategies I feel I won't relapse back into my bad eating habits.
In conclusion, by changing my eating habits my overall life will be better, not just for the body but, for the mind as well. To convey on a personal level, I need to lose these stress pounds if I am to become a Strength and Conditioning Coach, I must set an example. I do want to live a long life like my Grandma and my Great Grandmother. My Grandmother is almost 90 and my Great Grandmother lived to be almost 91. Longevity runs deeps in our family, and I'd count myself lucky to be as fortunate as them.