A Little About Me...
Over the last year last year, my life has undergone a major transformation, which lead to this blog (formerly Mediterranean My Way) going into hibernation for about a year. Here's why. I realized accidentally that I had a food problem when trying to shed some of that holiday bloat last January by doing Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. It was then when I realized that my life long struggle with fatigue, brain fog, digestion problems and moodiness that was clearly effected by food had anything and everything to do with gluten. Some call gluten sensitivity a fad, I've heard countless doctors make arguments about why it is not a valid possibility. All I know is, for the first time in my life, I've felt like a normal human being who is able to function like everyone else. No one can tell me this is not real. Now, my journey shifts from focusing on weight loss to focusing on being happy and healthy, and with any luck I will shed a few more pounds along the way.
Let me backtrack a little, so you can get to know a little more about me. It basically began in the fifth grade, when I started getting a little chubbier than most of my friends. Not a good feeling, and certainly not great for the pre-teen ego... or the teenage ego, or the adult ego... I can't say I've ever been obese, but I've always struggled with my weight, that's for sure. It's not really a shocker, though, I'm the daughter of a Life Time Member of Weight Watchers, and it's my feeling that I grew up with a dangerous view of food, eating, and self image. Growing up, food was an all or nothing event. Not that I blame my mom for this at all, she has her own reasons for getting stuck in this cycle herself, and has actually been able to break it for the most part.
As I said, I've always had to deal with weight, and grew up with Weight Watchers being the ultimate answer for what to do to lose a little weight. A little over a year ago, I hit my personal high of 173, quite heavy for my 5' 3" frame, and decided once and for all that I would never see that weight again...
So off to Weight Watchers I went. I lost 20 pounds. The plan works, that's undeniable. The problem for me was always hearing about how it was a life plan and not a diet... I guess it was just not a life plan that worked at all for me? Although I did everything I could to make it work, I went to meetings, ate lots of "filling foods," low fat protein sources and so forth, I was always hungry, constantly moody and feeling deprived. Ah... my poor husband.... I switched over to the Mediterranean Diet, and grew this little blog. I loved it, and I was able to maintain my weight for quite some time. BUT, although I loved what I was eating, I also didn't feel good. I had acid reflux to a ridiculous point, and was still exhausted, and still had some problems with moodiness and sometimes a little mild depression.
Since discovering why all of these things had happened to me, I wasn't able to keep blogging, because I no longer felt like I really knew where I was going with food. I went from making home made bread several times a week to asking myself what.do.I.eat??? Wanting to get back into things, I kept searching for new blog ideas, and then it struck me: I need to be blogging about exactly what I am struggling with, because there are so many others out there dealing with the same things as me.
Happier, healthier, still slipping up hear and there. Welcome to my journey, I challenge you to join me in it!
Kim
