Day One. In the Beginning.

 ...don't ask.

I've never been overweight. I inherited my dad's genes and grew up tall and gangly. I see this as a blessing, and a curse. I never really had to "watch what I eat", but this led to one very entitled and undisciplined lady. I could "get away" with eating junk food. Therefore, I did. But skinny is not everything. I have no cardiovascular endurance to speak of, I have a fair share of cellulite, and oh...what's the other thing...ah yes, I feel like absolute shit all the time. I abuse my poor body, subjecting it to multiple blood sugar spikes and dips and depleting it of nutrients. I am often tired, always pale, and rarely hydrated. I put so many processed foods and chemicals into my system every day that I won't need to be embalmed upon death.

I begin this year by removing refined sugar from my diet. Actually, I began this in December, of all months. I did fairly well! Have you ever tried turning down Christmas treats from coworkers and relatives? They react as if you just called them ugly. They take it very personally and try to persuade you and if that doesn't work, they can get downright mean! (A lady at work angrily told me to "calm down" when I declined a rice krispie square, citing that they are "fat free". I told her diabetes runs in the family - it does - and shut her up with that.)

That's the other curse of being "skinny": no one's going to cheer you on for making good decisions. Often, they'll do the opposite. They'll tell you to "lighten up" or "live a little" or my favorite, advise that I "eat a cheeseburger because I look sick".

MAY I JUST ADD HERE THAT I AM NOT UNDERWEIGHT, NOR AM I HUMBLE BRAGGING ABOUT BEING THIN. I AM ACTUALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONAL WEIGHT GUIDELINES FOR MY HEIGHT. THESE COMMENTS STILL SURPRISE ME.

There, that's out of the way. Anyway, I have spent the last 10 years of my life being told I need to eat more by people who have no idea I can put away 5000 calories in an hour. This is a lonely existence! Many people literally scoff at me when I open up about my food issues. They don't believe that a) I'm telling the truth, or b) that they truly cause me daily distress. They think I have no right; that I'm just whining. First world problems, maybe. But still problems.

But screw you, haters! I'm going to systematically eliminate the garbage I eat, add in the healthy stuff, and get into a fitness routine, and if I lose a little more weight, I guess it's what nature intended.