My Next Thirty Years

I am just hours away from the big 3-0.  (In fact, by the time you read this, I may be well into my thirties.)  As a late May baby I have always been young for my grade, and I was usually one of the youngest employees in all the jobs I have held.  Getting older never really bothered me since I was happy with the direction my life was going, and heck - getting older sure beats the alternative. 

As a new mom I am acutely, painfully aware of the quick passage of time during especially wonderful experiences.  Every day I am stunned when the clock strikes 5 pm.  How did the day pass so quickly?  I remember recent times in an unfulfilling job when I couldn't wait for 5 pm, and now each day I both celebrate and mourn yet another sunset, another bedtime cuddle.  Turning 30 has reminded me that time is fleeting and days are not to be wasted.  For this reason, I am a bit sad to hit this aging milestone.  I am no longer truly "young," and time will only pass more quickly from here on out.  

Though turning thirty is bittersweet, it also provides me with an opportunity to reflect on my evolution, my personal nutrition transition, during the last decade.  I think back ten years, to my twenty-year-old self, and reflect on what a completely different person I was in so many ways.  I was well into my education to become a dietitian, but my motives were so different then than they are now.  My habits and behaviors, while seemingly healthy to an outsider, were destructive and depleting.  I am so grateful that time, experience, mentors, and trial-by-fire have completely transformed my daily thoughts, feelings, patterns and routines.  Below I will share some of these changes from 10 years ago (exactly!) to now in the hopes that you appreciate the transitions you have made with your own health. 

Home

Then - living with my parents for the summer after finishing sophomore year at U of A.

Now - living with my husband, daughter, and 2 crazy pups in the house we have owned for almost 5 years.

Work

Then - diet rep at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn; taking 2 summer school classes at SCC.

Now - mish-mash of various baby-friendly jobs, including Babymoon Inn nutritionist, Karve instructor, My Dietitian RD, and consultant.

Diet

Then - RESTRICTIVE!  I thought that healthy meant low calorie, no matter what it was made out of.  My diet consisted of lots of low-calorie, fake foods, processed soy, diet sodas, sugar-free coffee drinks, fat-free salad dressings, and microwaved meals.  I never used salad dressing (besides vinegar or some fat-free crap), and I avoided nuts and other high-fat foods like the plague.  My favorite snack?  Fat-free microwaved popcorn sprayed with "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray.  (I'm cringing as I write this.)  Right at this time I decided to "slim down for summer" and ate so restrictively that I had to take a nap every afternoon to accommodate my exhaustion.  I lost 10 pounds, but I gained a messed-up relationship with food that took years to heal.

Now - real, yet flexible.  I love food and try to avoid anything fake.  My diet consists of vegetables, fruits, sustainably-raised animal products, nuts, seeds, healthy oils, whole grains, and chocolate (usually in the form of cocoa powder).  I haven't touched soda in years and enjoy 2-3 glasses of red wine per week.  I minimize dairy and gluten because it helps me feel my best, but I love trying and enjoying all types of food.  Most importantly, I listen to my body.  I eat when I'm hungry.  I stop eating when I'm comfortably full (usually).  I try my best to eat slowly and mindfully, though that's a pattern that I'm still working on.  Food is no longer scary - it's exciting, but it's in its place.

Exercise

Then - hour-long walks in the heat twice a day, plus 1-2 hour sweat sessions at the gym, usually involving a torturous round on the stair climber.

Now - 45ish minute walks with the dogs, baby and hubby; 3-4 weekly Karve classes (plus teaching 2-3 times per week).  I love the exercise I do now and find it necessary for my sanity and energy levels.

Hydration

Then - water out of plastic bottles, SF-vanilla Starbucks lattes, SF flavored soy milk, diet sodas, far too much alcohol.

Now - water out of glass/stainless steel, kombucha, green/herbal tea, occasional coffee, moderate alcohol.

Self-Image

Then - very negative; all I cared about was what my body wasn't, not who I was.  I let my poor body-image get in the way of really enjoying myself that summer.  I avoided dinners out with friends and hated hanging by the pool.

Now - much improved; I am so amazed that my body could grow, birth (without medication, no less) and breastfeed a wonderful little person.  No number on the scale or pair of jeans could ever compare.

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When you become frustrated that you missed a workout session or ate just a bit too much cake, think back to how far you have come on your health journey.  I hope you are proud of your own nutrition (and health) transitions.  Your thirty-year-older self will thank you one day.

*M*