Undereating to Overeating, Trying to Find the Middle

So many people trying to lose weight in this country are talking about not overeating.

I read blogs where dieters are constantly looking for ways to curb their appetites or not sit on the couch and constantly eat.

That's never been my problem.
I am an under-eater.
It's not intentional. I have never had an eating disorder. There are just times that I forget to eat.

I had a healthy appetite when I was younger. I could put away 4-5 pieces of pizza at Godfathers and go for some dessert pizza afterwards. But during the summer of 1994, that changed.

In 1994, I went to a tennis camp in Florida for a month. They fed us chicken (cooked any way you can imagine) and lots of pasta. We needed the energy. A typical day found us playing tennis from 8:30-noon, then lunch and a break (we used the break to change clothes, and then we played from 1ish-4. Plus, it was Florida in the dead of summer.  HOT and HUMID.

I lost weight that month. Even the camp director noticed. And I ate a lot of pasta. (See? Carbs are GOOD when you work out a lot.)

When I returned home, though, my mother was worried about my eating habits. Instead of 4-5 pieces of pizza, I ate 2. My stomach shrunk from eating right and working out. The doctor told her that it was normal and I was actually eating more of what I should be eating.

But over time, I lost track of what I should be eating a day. To be honest, no one ever told me that. I was never told to eat a certain amount a day. Most of what you have always heard on TV and in magazines is about eating LESS, not more. I guess I may be in the minority with this under-eating problem.

I have to use the Spark People website and App on my phone to track my food. If I don't, I don't eat enough. And when you are working out, especially building muscle, you need fuel/food. It really is a great tool for tracking calories, fat, carbs, and protein. It will also keep track of vitamins like Vitamin C as long as you always input the correct info into the trackers.

I should be eating anywhere from 1560-1910 calories a day, since I do cardio and weights up to six days a week. And to some, that may seem like nothing. But I have a HECK of a time trying to get over 1500. My stomach just doesn't want that much food normally. But I am trying very hard to train my body to want this much food.

I think I might write up a post about the uses of Spark People sometime soon.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I need to eat.