MY STORY
I'll begin my story with saying that for many years of my life I did not know how to deal with food cravings that would result in me binging on huge quantities of food. I would follow this by going on a diet. Again, this would be followed by insane binge-eating. I thought that I had no control over food. I just could not understand these cravings or why I had them. (Today I do understand why and I know that I never have to experience this again).
To stop acting on these cravings I came up with a plan which involved eating only THREE times a day with nothing in between. I avoided foods that had sugar in the first 4-5 ingredients. Many days I was so hungry but stuck to my three meals with no snacks because I was terrified of binging. To top it off, I wasn't thin instead I was still carrying excess body fat. (Today I do understand why even though I wasn't eating often that I was carrying excess body fat ) .
Eventually, I got involved with weight training. I fell in love with this sport and began to change the way I nourished my body. I began to eat more frequently. After about a year I decided I wanted to compete in a fit bikini competition and began to do what I call EXTREME DIETING by cutting my carbs and eating only select carbohydrate foods. In addition, I ate certain amounts of protein foods. I avoided fats. I became FANATICAL and obsessed with my diet. The result was that I did get extremely thin/lean for competitions. Then after competing I would binge on sugary foods. I would bloat up and have awful swelling in my ankles. Then, I would extreme diet to lose any fat I gained. One more time, I was in the sick cycle of binging followed by extreme dieting to get rid of fat.
I began to experience this frightening physical symptom in my eyes. On 4 or 5 different occasions, my blood sugar dropped so low that I lost my peripheral vision and saw black floating spots. I would consume candy or some sugar source to raise my blood sugar to try to make it go away.
One day, I told my fitness instructor that I didn't want to train anymore because I was spending money to train but my food was out of control. I was either binging or extreme dieting. I just reached a point in which I couldn't handle how "out of control" I felt with food.
At home that night, I decided that I wanted to never extreme diet or binge again. I wanted to feel healthy, never hungry and I didn't want to have the vision problems any more. I had pretty much spent my entire life either being on a diet to lose weight or eating huge quantities of food (mostly junk food). I just really never knew any other way of eating. I didn't know how I was going to stop this.
So, I developed a nutrition plan by considering three things. First, I drew upon what I learned in college about nutrition and what the body needs. Secondly, I considered all of the foods and food combinations that I ate to get in my best shape for my competitions. Then I began to do in-depth research about protein, fats and carbohydrates and their role in our body. I took ideas from my education, my competition dieting, and information from my research to NutritionByCatherine.
This way of eating has completely changed my life. I no longer have the vision problems. And, I no longer binge and then extreme diet. And, I know that I will never have to go on a diet again. It was very hard for me to let go of extreme dieting! I was so fearful that if I did not control my weight with extreme dieting then I would get fat. But that just has not been the case. Instead, my body looks healthy and fit.
I have decided that I want to share what worked for me with as many people as I can. As I work with clients and teach them about NutritionByCatherine ME AND THE CLIENT are absolutely amazed at how their health is improving. Again, my clients are taught how to give their body all of the nutrients it needs hence their body can then show them how healthy it wants to be.
I want to teach people how to nourish their body so their body can then show them how healthy and lean it wants to be. This is the goal that I have for myself and my clients.
I wish you a healthy and happy life.
Catherine
