Recently I was asked WHY I decided to become a health coach. There are many reasons actually, only three of which I feel like I can actually articulate. So here is part 1 of a three part series on my WHY…
I wouldn’t say I was particularly overweight as a kid, but I was definitely a little pudgy most of my youth. I was shy and didn’t make friends easily, so the pudge just kind-of fit. I was your classic nerd … but not really book-smart. So maybe I was (am) more of a dork? Definitely a square. ?
Honestly, it’s amazing that anyone in my house, growing up, wasn’t obese. Our house was always fully stocked with cookies, soda, pastries … heck, salami, cheese and crackers were a staple (along with Bruno’s wax peppers of course!). My mom packed a hostess pie and chips in every school lunch. Awesome, right? Yeah, I thought so too! But, because I didn’t have many friends, I was not very active. PE in school was about all the exercise I got.
Recently I found a binder full of recipes that my mom compiled for me when I moved out. It was full of the meals she cooked for us growing up. Wow, what an eye opener that was! Chicken biscuit casserole, hamburger stroganoff (light on the burger, heavy on the noodles and sauce), marshmallow salad, it goes on and on. Many of these recipes cut from magazines or the back of a box.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t fault my mom one bit. My mom was a superwoman. She worked full time (with an hour commute each way), kept the house spotless and cooked every meal. She was busy. And as busy parents, don’t we all look for quick and easy ideas?
I was the same way when my kids were young. My kids would always joke that all I ever made was Hamburger Helper. That’s definitely not true… I made plenty of Tuna Helper too. 😉
That brings me to the first of my “whys” – based on my own experiences and what I’ve heard from others, I truly desire to help busy families find ways to eat healthy, despite their hectic schedules.
Can you relate? Feel like you could use a bit of help figuring ways to feed your family healthy food on a hectic schedule?
Jeff Spitzer