Where Have All the French Fries Gone?

Since the start of 2013, I have been taking my health a lot more seriously, for no reason other than it's about time I care about myself. I wasn't working towards anything specific, but feeling good about taking care of myself for the first time. I've always been skinny, but I've never had a real reason to be proud of my body because I'd never put any of my own effort into it. I ate garbage whenever I wanted because I didn't have anything to worry about as far as weight gain, and I never thought of health beyond that. I've had body image issues for a long time. There was a time that I tried hard to gain weight, to gain more noticeable curves, to feel more womanly and accepted. But I'm starting to really be proud of my body for what I accomplish through hard exercise and healthy eating. I can feel good about how I look because I work for it.

I started this at about 120 lbs/size 4 or 5 in jeans. My plan wasn't to track weight loss (as I was in no position to lose weight), but for now it is the only way to really tell if I am getting results. I dropped down to 114 lbs and a size 2, which put me just underweight for my height, but I am working towards gaining muscle to make up for the loss. Right now I am 118 lbs, which is my "ideal" weight. If I could make it back to my highest weight of 123 lbs solely on muscle, that would be ridiculous.

 Basically, the biggest thing that I've been doing is saying goodbye to my beloved fries (and other junk food that made up the majority of my diet). It has been full of ups and downs. I eat a ton of raw vegetables now, which I never thought would be as filling as they are. I avoided eating rabbit food because I have an unusually large appetite and I never thought eating vegetables could hold me over from meal to meal. But I don't mind eating my veggies. I'm not picky. I've even started craving them, sometimes. I do still have those days when the broccoli just isn't satisfying. I spend a lot of time reading up on healthy foods and recipes to try to learn how to spice things up once in a while, and that has helped push me through the "bad" times. I've only had fries three times so far this year, and I feel like someone recovering from a nicotine addiction. It's been hard, but I'm actually proud of how far I've come.

I have a few new hobbies now that I've made so many changes, namely, making my own granola. It started with a peanut butter granola recipe. Tonight alone, I've made an almond butter granola, chocolate granola, and my own spicy granola much like that herbed oyster cracker recipe, but with a kick. I only stopped there because I ran out of oats. I'm considering starting a small business, but I'm not sure there is enough of a demand for granola right now.