Ever since I was young, I was known in the family as the fat boy, according to my eldest brother. Both of my older brothers are thin and tall. I was short and fat. Being the youngest, my eldest brother teased me while we were growing up. I heard all the hurtful names that were synonymous to being fat. It really hurt my feelings. My parents’ and grandmother’s main concern was what my brothers and I were being fed. I really love to eat. I ate anything and everything that they gave me. Both of my parents worked full time, so they weren’t around most of the time. My grandmother was home doing all of the cooking. When we went grocery shopping, my mother got us whatever we wanted. The fridge and pantry were often full of snacks. My family would often go to fast food restaurants like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Popeye’s.
When I started junior high school my every day lunch consisted of soda, chips, and candy. This was my routine for 3 years. As I went on to high school, during sophomore year my friends persuaded me to join our high school’s badminton team. Before I could play, I had to get a physical done at the hospital. After my physical, I went to see the nutritionist. She weighed me and told me that I was about 20 lbs overweight for teenage boys around my age. I couldn’t believe it, the news really hit me hard. My mother was shocked by the news as well.
The nutritionist asked me if I ate enough fruits and vegetables, I told her no. To become healthier, she advised me to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in my meals. Plus, I should be aware of the portions of food that I ate. I tried to eat more fruits and vegetables but it was hard for me during this transition because I was not use to it. I had a bad habit of eating a large amount of food. When eating smaller portions of food, I would often get hungry. I would be tempted to eat more but I resisted. This was something I had to train myself to do. I had to make a change in how and what I ate. When badminton season started, I got a workout from conditioning and all the games that I played. I drank a lot of water, instead of sports drinks. I went on a diet during the season, slowly cutting back on drinking soda, junk/fried food and red meat. I kept this routine up and I gradually lost weight. By the time I became a senior, my weight became normal. My family was surprised at the amount of weight that I lost. I was so proud of myself, all my hard work paid off.
The experience that I went through in high school had a huge impact in my life. It was a major turning point that bettered my health. To this day, I maintained my healthy eating habits. I completely stopped drinking soda. Water is my number one preferred choice. Junk/fast food was only eaten on occasion. To control my weight, I exercised at least 3 times a week. This is something that I grew to love. I became very picky on what I ate. I always wanted to eat something healthy. As I went on to attend college, I always had an interest in nutrition. So I finally decided to take a nutrition course at City College of San Francisco. My professor Dr. Pinna was amazing, she is very passionate about nutrition. I had a better understanding about the variety of nutritious foods and the nutrients it contained that benefited to the human body. I read a lot of scientific nutrition articles and I’m always fascinated by the new studies that scientists make.
For my blog, I want to talk how important nutrition is to a college student. We are surrounded by many different kinds of foods. At times, we don’t make the best choices. This can later have an effect on our health in the future. It is understandable that we have to take care of our families, get an education and work. Watching what you are eating and making healthy choices can make a big difference.
