“What would you like to eat”, she asked anticipating some strange request about to come her way.

“I want figs”, she answered.

Flashforward a few weeks later, the request turned to apples and then the ultimate: chestnuts!

Those requests would be made by none other than me during assessments with my coach.  While most people likely sat in her office and asked for chocolate etc…that’s where I differ once more, as many of my favourite foods are part of the atypical list.  Not to mention I have a thing for eating those seasonal glories. Many people may be satiated to eat a take out pizza here and there as a cheat meal. I’d rather be going to the fish market and cooking up a mean seafood platter from scratch or planning a 5 course meal for guests.

Despite enjoying to indulge, it’s not something I’ve allowed myself to do often as I have always been fearful of gaining too much weight.  So when my coach told me I needed to eat way more, the foodie in me squealed with joy. Contrary to what many people may believe, people that bodybuild don’t starve (just towards final peak time of competition). On the contrary we eat a lot or in my case an obscene amount of food. Throughout this journey, I have done things I never imagined starting with being a constant grazer.

Constant Grazer

First week of school, my students learned that in my class there are not set feeding times. They can graze whenever they want and as often as they want so long as it remains clean and doesn’t interfere with what they have to do, because that’s pretty much what I do. They quickly got used to me hovering around them and their work while holding one of my food containers, or waiting to finish chewing before answering one of their questions. The Italian kid in my class is loving every moment of this both for his own satisfaction and for the sheer entertainment factor I provide with all my meal shenanigans.   Everyone learned really quickly that the same girl that is cool and collected during crisis intervention situations completely unraveled the day I forgot my sweet potatoes at home. In fact, it was such a big deal that I drove back home to get them and my work partner is still cracking up over this moment of frenzy.  Even better is the second looks I get at Costco when my cart is filled with 5 bags of sweet potatoes that only last me one week at a time. I’m surprised my skin tone has not turned orange.

Hunter

Having spent most of my life gagging or avoiding most meats, you can understand why my best friend looked at me and asked, “What did you do with my friend?”  If she only knew that since that day I also ate a moose. Yup you read that right. And I no longer gag much either. In fact, as much as I love lentils and vegetarian options, I had to ditch them because I am intolerant to a lot of meatless options and they make me really sick. Crown me the hunting goddess then as the Romans and Greeks would have!

Everywhere

I have also taken to eating everywhere and had to get over being shy or uncomfortable pretty fast. I bet I can create a whole Dr Seuss tale about all the places I have eaten which include slamming down my meal in a car in between point A and B.

 

“I’ve eaten in a car

Right before going into a bar

Eaten on the run

And underneath the sun…”

One of my funniest moments had to be while I sat there all decked out in a business suit during a pretty intense meeting with a bunch of grand poobah’s.  The meeting had gone way past its scheduled time. Not only was I past hungry, I was panicking as if I didn’t eat soon, I would be stuck having to eat three meals in a short amount of time.  Right there in mid argument between several members, I pulled out my container, smiled sheepishly and began to eat and I didn’t care the least if they felt that to be unprofessional. The fact that we were sitting there another year discussing the same thing with no results was more unprofessional in my opinion.

“Again???”

If you have spent some time with me for a few hours you will likely end up saying, “You eating again?” Pretty much!  I even managed to silence my old school Italian mother who at first because of all my dietary restrictions thought I was going to die of starvation. Since she has witnessed me easily out eat my husband and pretty much anyone in the family at this point, she has had nothing to say other than her occasional opinion about me not needing muscles and to not get sick blah blah blah.

A Foodie at Heart

Before it was popular, many of my photos were like the one shown here dating back to 2006, capturing some tantalizing meals around the globe.  

Food is a huge part of my culture and an integral part of me. I’ve been surrounded by pretty impressive kitchen talent all my life so I also don’t settle for “mediocre” food.  My family never had the opportunity to be in the food industry but this is where their true talent is. Let me tell you the competition is pretty fierce during the holidays! At four years old, my daughter has already developed quite the palette and often likes to ask what’s cooking in the kitchen.

So minus the restrictions that only allow me to dream of the biscotti that I’m surrounded by with my new business endeavor, bodybuilding is right in alignment with the foodie in me.  Post competition, I am slamming my own biscotti down along with many other things but in the meantime I will adhere to my diet. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go fuel up for my booty!