I also started really making exercise a part of my weight loss plan. I never seemed to achieve my desired weight. Things continued in college with more organized forms of dieting including Atkins, South Beach Diet, and Weight Watchers. Even in high school, I remember crash dieting for proms by only eating fruit and drinking water for days before the dance. Since than I can’t remember a time that my body image was not a prominent thought in my head.Īs I grew older, food became a comforting tool that I used to deal with issues and stress. I knew I wanted to be “skinny” and that’s where my issues with my body image began. While I was always supported and loved by my family, regardless of the way I looked, I was acutely aware of my body and my unhappiness with it. As a result, I was an overweight child and there was no real acknowledgment by my family and friends of my weight issues. While I know that their desire to solve problems and make things better with food came from a loving place, but it still did some damage to me and my relationship with food. I was always encouraged to finish my plate, and asking for seconds was a way to compliment the chef. Any problem could be solved with homemade pasta and meatballs or a fresh cannoli. Every event, holiday, or day that ended in Y was focused on what and when we were eating. It was in this environment that my relationship with food began. For example, we would scream over each other to be heard at meals, overeat, use food to solve problems, and be trapped by Italian mom guilt (I love you Mom). This was amazing in so many ways, but anyone of Italian heritage knows that Italian culture presents a number of challenges as well. My parents divorced before I was one year old and my sister and I were raised by my mother and Italian grandparents. All of my experiences shaped me (literally and figuratively) and helped me arrive where I am today. The environment in which I was raised also had a significant influence on my career path, relationship with food, and body image. These aren’t necessarily bad qualities, but they didn’t feel authentic either. I was an overachiever, independent, type A person throughout my years of college and medical training. It’s been a long journey! As a child, I always felt I was a bit of a free spirit, but never had that spirit nourished or encouraged to shine, and actually I suppressed it for a really, really long time. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far. Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Lyn.
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