I am a food lover

I am a food lover. I see food and I want to try it. If I like it, I might have two or three helpings. Especially if they are in the dessert category. If I don't like it, at least I can say I tried it.

Food is a huge part of our lives. It nourishes us, sustains us and give us strength to continue our day. But food has many other meanings. We eat when we are happy. We eat when we are sad. We eat unknowingly and sometimes, unwillingly. We eat when we are with family and friends. We eat with strangers. We eat in our homes, in our cars and at our desks. I once knew a guy that would eat & shower at the same time to save time in the morning.

The internet says Americans eat & drink, on an average, 75 minutes every day. We spend less time eating than just about anyone else on the planet. But we’re also among the most overweight. However, the more slender French, spends 2+ hours a day eating. To me, this is an interesting piece of what I call "useless knowledge". Obviously Americans are more rushed than our European counterparts. We also don't take the time to enjoy food and those around us when dining. It also says to me that we don't exercise enough.

I'm guilty of all that. Grabbing a quick bite at my desk. Eating in my car while on the freeway. And definitely guilty of putting off the exercise till 'tomorrow'. I'm also guilty of large portions & too many 2nd helpings. And if we are to be honest, I'm guilty of not eating enough vegetables & fruits.

But it's hard as an American, as a married women - who has more hobbies than she can count - to be a better eater and still enjoy food. I'm always running off somewhere and eating healthier is expensive. It's especially hard since I don't like most fruits and vegetables. Also, I have this thing about self-discipline. When it comes to food, I have no restraint. I love all the things that are 'bad' for you. But I do want to change - I just have to find some way to be held accountable and to stop making excuses.

The biggest problem I have with eating healthier and better is that I want to enjoy food. I've always associated eating healthier as food with no flavor. I don't want to sacrifice flavor & be miserable at the same time. Especially when I know there are such delicious foods out there.

As part of my "Healthy in 2013" campaign, I have started this food diary as a way to control my eating habits. My goal for the diary is to write daily about the challenges of what I ate and/or didn't eat, the struggles to be a healthier, thinner version of me (I'll warn you now - there will be some complaining), my exercises and, I hope, the rewards of my efforts (no matter how small they may be).