Blog Takeover: Meet Megan.
I was 3 years old when I started playing soccer. I spent my childhood and adolescent years traveling the “lower 48s” as we called them (I’m from Alaska) playing in soccer tournaments and camps. Playing soccer was what I did. Being a soccer player was who I was. Oh, and I loved food.
At the time, I didn’t pay much attention to how many calories I consumed nor how many calories I was burning. When I was hungry, I ate. And when I ate, I ate whatever I wanted. I vividly remember what I used to eat in high school… egg, bacon, cheese sandwich for breakfast, two corn dogs as a pre-lunch snack, a crunchy PB sandwich with nacho Doritos (usually inside the sandwich) for lunch, a box of Spongebob-shaped Mac & Cheese for an after school snack, spaghetti for dinner, and a roll of Ritz crackers with cheese spread, plus some ice cream as a late night snack. I never thought about the calories or nutrients I was consuming. Never had to. That is, until I tore my ACL, twice.
A week before heading to college in Ohio, I was playing a casual pick up soccer game…. That’s when it happened. My foot stayed in the ground, my knee went, and down I went. I remember thinking “THIS feeling, THIS sound, THIS is what people had described when tearing their knee…”. There I was, 17 years old, heading off to college, in a wheelchair…
What I quickly realized, is that when you’re not playing soccer for 4 hours a day or even able to walk, you can’t eat whatever you want. I gained the “Freshman 30” in two months. Around the same time, I also found out I had a gluten allergy and needed to eliminate gluten from my diet; a diet that at the time consisted of late-night pizza and beer. My relationship with food turned cold. It became my enemy. I felt restricted. I felt dissatisfied. I felt disappointed. For a year I struggled finding foods I could eat and found myself having salads every day – salads were gluten free and healthy, so why not just eat that? While this was good for losing my extra pounds, it wasn’t sustainable, nor enjoyable. It was boring.
A year after rehabbing my knee and working off the 30 lbs, first practice back, I tore my ACL again. Back to the training room, back to the gym, back to… the weight gain. This time my recovery had to be different; physically, mentally, emotionally. It had to be.
Through my 20s, I started to listen to my body. I started to pay attention to how I felt when I ate something nutritious, and how I felt when I ate something processed. I began to focus on what I can eat, not what I can’t. I used to think, “ugh I can’t have pizza”, and now I think “ooo I can have French fries. Lots of french fries.” This way of thinking also translated into fitness. Rather than focusing on not being able to run, I realized I could ride a bike… and I liked riding bikes. So much so that I became a spin instructor at Harness Cycle in Cleveland, Ohio, where I was able to grow physically and emotionally with the best community of people. When it comes to snacks (my weakness), I don’t deprive myself, but I recognize the importance of moderation and balance. If I want my favorite treat (Mitchell’s Sea Salt Caramel Ice Cream or white chocolate chips), I make sure to have a nutritious breakfast the next day. Most importantly, with nutrition, I try and set myself up for success. Since I know I’m a snacker, if I don’t have meals prepared in the fridge and I get hungry, I will grab the Costco size container of cashews. On Sundays I prepare meals for the entire week (all lunches and all dinners) and make as many healthy snack options as possible.
Now at 32, I have an entirely new and exciting relationship with food and fitness - I’m constantly exploring new recipes with friends, especially gluten free snacks. I love a good protein bite or nutty, crunchy, chocolate combo. I’ve also started to make my own gluten free pasta! Living in Tremont, has me connected to fantastic trails and neighborhoods to walk with my pup Dudley, and on most weekends you’ll find me challenging my husband Peter in the kitchen like Chopped (the cooking show). Highly recommend trying this with your friend, partner or spouse – pick 3 random ingredients and have the other person create a dish with them. It gets us outside our comfort zone and challenges us to be more creative. We end up trying new recipes, learning new cooking techniques and eating from a variety of cultures. I also find joy in plating the dishes – edible art. If you follow me on Instagram, know that I’ve probably spent way too much time trying to make the dish look pretty. While my nutrition journey has not always been pretty, nor exciting, I’ve come a long way from crunchy PB sandwiches with nacho Doritos inside…
-Megan
you can follow Megan on instagram @megcroke6