I like food.

Oh how I need to remember that phrase. I LOVE food. I love eating. 

When I was a kid my parents were "clean your plate" parents. Now, I didn't have to worry about my weight as a kid- I was always thin.... until I was 13.  Then the weight started packing on. As a kid, I was told I was to eat everything, even if I didn't like it. That was the rule, and I learned to like nearly everything ( I still don't like sauerkraut or mustard... everything else I can eat). Now that I am a parent I understand why my parents wanted me to clean my plate. Food is expensive, and I still don't like waste. I still have a hard time throwing away my kids' food that is half eaten. My parents often used the "kids in Ethiopia are starving" fact to guilt me into eating- and I still feel guilty when I don't finish a meal. 

 Since I learned to eat pretty much everything, I want to eat pretty much everything. The problem is my habits aren't healthy. I definitely don't always make the best food choices. Easy meals are my favorite. I hate waiting for food, especially when I am already hungry. Fast meals full of preservatives and junk are what tend to land on my plate after a long day at work or busy day with the kids. I eat too much meat and carbs and much too few vegetables and fruits. This I am trying to change.

As of Monday, July 30th, I am down to 208.4lbs. Four weeks ago I started the Cinch Inch Loss plan, I weighed 225lbs then. I've lost a lot of weight in the last month, and I am SO proud of myself. This month I have learned to "eat" something at every meal and eat a snack. Before Cinch I would often eat just one meal a day... a HUGE meal usually. I would often head to work without breakfast, skip lunch, and then gorge when I got home. Eating breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack has been great! I am learning proper portions (although I still struggle at times with this... I still have 5 months to learn :) ), I am learning to eat plenty of protein but also get more fruits and vegitables. I am learning that eating regularly helps keep my body satisfied and I am learning that no food tastes as good as skinny feels. I've heard that saying a lot- but I enjoy food. Over the last few years when I tipped the scales at nearly 250 pounds I have had the worst self esteem issues. I felt worthless and lazy and just blah. Losing some of this weight has already given me a boost of confidence and I am feeling a lot better about myself. It feels great- and it's worth missing all the delicious food. 

I am still on a journey with 43.6 pounds still to lose, but I CAN do this. I MUST do this... for my kids, for my husband, but most of all for me.