I was born and raised in Santee , CA (San Diego County) on the Standard American Diet (SAD). Looking back, I know my mom did the best she could to feed us as healthy as she could with the time and budget she had. My family fell into the fast food, pre-packaged (macaroni and cheese, hamburger helper), junk food trap! Every person in my immediate family was overweight for as long as I can remember, including me. It seemed like the more money my parents made, the heavier we all became as we ate out more and ate home less. I was the product of two parents who worked their butts off to provide for us, but has no time to focus on diet and exercise as an essential part of our lives.
My mom and I attended weight watchers multiple times over the years. We did the whole, calorie restricted diet routine. Did it work out, NOPE. We tried to eat all the low-fat, higher fiber so-called “healthy” foods which were full of added suagrs thinking we were doing good. Eventually when things didn’t work, we always resorted back to our ways of eating out and overindulging almost 7 days a week.
I really began putting on weight when I was in 4th grade and puberty struck! I had just moved from one Elementary school to another where I had zero friends. My parents worked full time and I was in charge of getting myself to school everyday. Luckily, it was right down the hill. I was also usually the first one home and had access to all the lovely snacks my family stored in the house. Chewy chocolate granola bars, candy bars from sports candy sales, popcorn, chips, soda, etc. You name it, I sneakily ate it. I was unhappy and blowing up like a balloon. The only thing that kept me from ballooning to over 300lbs was my interest in softball.
Softball was probably my saving grace, thinking back. I was definitely a motivated child and determined to be successful in whatever I did atheltic wise, but not diet wise. I played softball from about 8 yo through college. I think my interest in sports and being active is what fueled me to become interested in continuing to be active as I became older. I have had my ups and downs over the years, which you will see as I continue, but overall my interested in sports and health has fueled my desire to get healthy and stay that way!
