Thursday, April 7, 2011

The Journey to Liberation From Chicken Fingers

In 2010, I posted a list of 4 New Year's resolutions. The first two (learn to sew my own clothes and knit myself one garment) I didn't follow through on at all. I would still like to learn to sew and knit better, but it just isn't enough of a priority for me right now. The resolution about getting more exercise is not one I did well on last year. However, this year I am doing much better. Perhaps I will talk about that on here soon, but for now, onward to the one I was actually successful with last year.

My resolution to try new foods and blog about them is one that I feel like I did really well on. I wasn't consistent on the blogging end, but I believe the trying part was more important anyway. I had started the year by trying 2 new things a month. And while that was pretty good, I found that I was just picking and choosing till I found the "just right" thing to try. It did add a few new foods to my diet, but it wasn't really pushing me to step out of my comfort zone. I think what finally pushed me was being with D. He let me know from early on that my finicky eating was a problem for him. He is raising two young boys, and he wants to train them to eat what is in front of them. Me sitting down with them and turning my nose up at things was going to be an issue. Not to mention the fact that it is boring and limiting to hang out with a picky eater all the time. I knew he was right. After all, it was already something I knew was a problem and knew I had to work on. I decided to work harder.

It hasn't been an easy transformation at all, and I still have a long way to go. There are certainly still many things that I am too afraid to put in my mouth. Still, the improvements I have made have been freeing and even exciting. It is so much easier to eat at someone else's house now or go out to eat with people. It is fun to look at a menu and actually have to make choices because several things look good instead of 1 or 2. I know I am still a picky eater, but I am no longer the kind of picky eater who belongs on a TLC special. (Can't you picture it? "Extreme Picky Eating" premiering Sunday night at 8:00. Why isn't this a show? Or is it, and I just missed it?)

I eat hamburgers now. In fact, I love them. I eat peppers and peas and rice and Lima beans and black beans and cooked carrots and onion and even the occasional tomato chunk in something. I like guacamole and I actually enjoy eating some kinds of fish. I can eat at a Mexican restaurant and not just have the boring cheese quesadilla. I like burritos and enchiladas and tacos and taco salad.

I am finding that sometimes I just have to suck it up, open my mouth, stick in the food, and give it a fair shot. It is still hard sometimes, but when D or my mom or my sister looks at me and says, "good for you, Lauren!" or "I'm so proud of you!" it makes it a lot easier.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

1 comment:

appleandi said...

I must admit when I saw that picture of you at Mongo I about fell off my chair! So proud of you!!!

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