The Benefits of Being Picky

I am a picky eater. I always have been, especially when it came to fruits and vegetables. I picked at them while guzzling diet soda and chewing a triple cheeseburger. I picked at salads while waiting for my Monte Cristo sandwich to come from Bennigan’s kitchen. I rarely ate apples but would happily gobble down � Continue Reading...

I am a picky eater. I always have been, especially when it came to fruits and vegetables. I picked at them while guzzling diet soda and chewing a triple cheeseburger. I picked at salads while waiting for my Monte Cristo sandwich to come from Bennigan’s kitchen. I rarely ate apples but would happily gobble down apple pies at McDonald’s.

I was picky in a bad way.

In the 15 years since I lost 150 pounds, I’ve become picky in a good way. I changed from being picky about fruits and vegetables to being picky about all the food we consume and the beverages we eat.

Here are some of my picky ways:

1. I now read food labels. I never used to read a food label – ever.  Although we do not buy all organic foods or all non-GMO foods, I am selective in the foods I purchase and read the labels of any processed foods I am not familiar with.

2. I carefully rate my food. When I am in a social situation where food is present, I rate the available choices from a scale of one to ten, with one being a total loser food and ten being a total winner. I mainly rate any “treat-type” foods in order to decide whether they are worth the calories. For example, a “one” would be store bought cookies and a “ten” might be a slice of my friend’s cheesecake. If I decide to have a piece, I have a small sliver guilt-free.

3. I saw no and don’t worry about what people think. I don’t like confrontation so this was hard for me. In the past, when I was obese, I would take some of everything, even if I did not like it. Now I just politely say “No thank you” to foods that do not fit into my weight maintenance plan or foods I just do not want.

(A friend of mine once told me that I wasn’t picky, just particular about my food choices. That term is a little nicer isn’t it?)

In any event, being picky with your food does not have to be a negative thing. Instead, being picky with your food can be a positive thing – provided you are picky about the right things.

Have you become picky or “particular” about your food since you began getting healthier? How? Diane

Image courtesy of Ambro FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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