Digest Number 6312

February 6, 2010

I have been trying to figure out my diet since I was in 6th grade. I am in 11th

grade , and in extreme need of help. I have always been a picky eater, but I

have always loved food. When I became vegetarian in 6th grade, it was mainly

because of grossed-out-edness. My parents thought it was just a fling, and it

would only last at the most a few months, and I would go back to eating meat

like other children. I didn't. At first it wasn't hard. Anything that wasn't

directly meat, I could eat. Then I stopped eating things with meat in them. Then

meat couldn't be traced in my food. And in 10th grade, I gave up cheese. I have

always loved food.Since 7th grade I have been weary of my body, in fact, I went

slightly anorexic in 7th grade. If I went back to my normal diet I would be

fine, or so I thought. 8th grade went smoothly. I was the health guru. I didn't

eat anything that had high-fructose corn syrup or anything of that sorts. Over

the summer of 8th grade,

I decided I wanted to be an athlete. I fell in love with cross country in 9th

grade, and have stuck with it since. The pickiness, well I am picky. Plain and

simple. Picky. I don't eat cauliflower, peanut butter, mustard, mayonaisse, etc,

etc.... (oh and my vegetarianess includes not eating fish).....the list goes on

and on. I was fine in 9th, until 10th I found out that cheese has meat in

it. Now I know there is other teens in my situation, but the number is scarce,

and I need help.I have been consistently been gaining weight since 9th grade.In

9th grade I weighed 125 pounds at 5'6 " tall, a good weight.In 10th grade I

weighed 135 pounds at 5'7 " tall, an o.k. weight.Now I am in 11th grade and I

weigh anywhere in between 145 and 150 pounds.I am SCARED.I am not going to grow

any taller, but I am growing wider.My mom will not let me visit a nutritionist,

but she will buy things I like.Right now I routinely eat a banana for breakfast;

cashews,raisins,pretzels, a small bag of chips, and a fiber one for lunch; and

I snack at home.When I snack (or eat meal-snacks) at home, I eat buttery popcorn

(those are SO addicting), vege. beans with a sauce, ice cream kisses, ketchup on

white bread, spanish rice (these are a few of the things, pasta and ragu garden

pasta sauce vege soup, tortilla soup and I don't eat all of these every day.I

know that these are unhealthy, but my mom only buys a few things I like that are

healthy, and she buys the things that are unhealthy to me.I eat a lot of carbs,

because I am a runner (although now in track I am going from 2 years in the 2

mile to the 800). Anyways IDK what to do. I have a body percent fat of 22.4%

which is not slim, but fit (underweight, slim, fit, fat, obese). I used to be

slim. I want to be slim again.What can I do?I don't want recepies.I like living

a busy lifestyle, and I want easy snacks, and I am lazy. (If I want something to

be fast,

does that mean I have to be fat???)Please help.I have been searching all over

the internet for help.I do not want this trend to continue.PLEASE!!! If any of

you guys have ideas on what to do, I would be SO grateful.

February 7, 2010

No more processed foods. I don't think you mentioned one raw veggie!

Veggie sticks with dips are great foods for being on the go. And, many markets

hve them prewashed and cut for you. Find a good dressing and hummus, get a bean

dip from the recipe files, and eat those veggies! Even a baggie of spinach in

some honey mustard dressing can be a nice meal with almonds on the side.

Best of luck to you. I am a runner, age 29, 5'6 @ 130lbs (I go +- 3 lbs,

usually). I'm also a yoga teacher and have a 3 year old (who acts like a 30 year

old! LOL).

Try to eat a variety if colors in your diet as well. One winter I cut out fried

foods and had a salad for lunch each day. I had just started to walk/jog/walk

and I lost over 10 lbs right before Spring Break in the Keys. I ate fried foods

while there (along with other things I shouldn't have, as I was still an omni

then) and felt like crap afterwards.

Now after being veg I can read my body so much better. I stay away from the

buttery popcorn (those ingredients can be awful) and eat plain with a little

salt or nutritional yeast. You taste buds will change and adapt to the foods

you are eating. If you eat salty foods, your tastebuds will tell you things

aren't salty enough and seek out saltier foods.

I switched to Low Sugar Jelly and when I had accidentally bought the regular

one, it was tooooo sickeningly sweet it went to my husband's office.

Each day try to eat a rainbow of foods- at least one red, green, yellow, orange

food every day. That will be a good place to start.

Do you eat tofu?

Cassie

" life's a garden, dig it! "

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 6, 2010, at 11:16 PM, Carissa Halliday <carissahalliday wrote: