Isabella

Growing up, I was really lucky to a family that was not obsessed with calories or how much we weighed (my mum always refused to have scales in the house). My mum was a good cook and I always loved going out for dinner just so I could try something new. So I never really had many issues when it came to food. I just really, really liked it.

And that was an issue.

I have always had, what I now realise is, quite an unhealthy obsession with food. It would consume my thoughts daily; about when my next meal would be, where would I get it, what would I want, etc. This has always been the way I think of food, a fond memory of my parents is when I was eight years old and I had realised it was 2pm and that “we had missed lunch”.

When I turned 18 and started going out every weekend – and most week nights – I started to completely disregard food. I was either in a rush to get out or too hung over to eat much. I never concerned myself with what is healthy for my body, I’d eat vegetables if they were on my plate but I very rarely ate fruit, choosing a chocolate bar or biscuit instead.

I have always been slim (I think it’s the genetics) and because of that I didn’t think I had to concern myself with what I was putting into my body. Similarly, I didn’t take exercising too seriously. I joined the gym when I was working in retail as I would go after work quite a lot and then I joined a gym closer to home and became one of those clichés that paid £20 a month for a gym membership they didn’t use. I’ve always liked to walk (when we’re down by the beach in Cornwall or walking my dog to the park) but that was the extent of my exercise.

However, over the last couple of years, a lot of things have changed and as a person, my outlook on food has developed. Since working full time and being sat down for eight hours a day, I realised that despite my body not visibly changing, the insides of my body were only going to get worse if I carried on this way.

My attitude changed, also, when I went travelling for 7 months with my sister. We had some of the best foods I had ever tasted in the 11 countries we visited. We were on a budget and so occasionally we were slightly restrictive, however I became more self-aware of what I was eating as well as how much exercise I was getting (my biggest accomplishment while we were away was completing a 4 hour hike). I fell in love with food all over again as well as eating some of the best fruit I had ever had! I came home with a renewed sense of self and how I can continue to eat good food and stay healthy.

I take a mixture of food to work; fruit, porridge, yogurt, etc. as well as some crisps and chocolate – I still like to indulge my sweet tooth. I also cook a lot more than I used to and so take fresh, homemade soup, salads and pasta dishes to reheat while at work. I’ve only been back at work for a week but my mum, sister and I are planning on taking weekly classes at our local gym as another way of staying fit. It always nicer exercising with other people rather than forcing myself to go to the gym.

I have also become a vegetarian since coming home and have also looked into, eventually, becoming vegan and so this has made more informative on replacement foods, for example how to get protein and omega 3 in to my diet without eating fish or meat.

A common misconception with genetically slim people - one I believed for a very long time - is that they can eat whatever they want, whenever they want it and it won't change their body. However, I've learnt over the past few years that it is not the case. Everyone needs the same vitamins and minerals in their diet, regardless of size or fitness levels. It's not about how your body looks from the outside, but taking care of it on the inside. It is imperative for a healthy body and a healthy mind to have a balanced approach to food, including all the food groups. I now know how important that is. My attitude towards food is now no longer obsessive but rather more laid-back and informative. I still get excited about food but it doesn’t concern my every thought like it used to.