Robert’s Path to Better Health, Better Mood, and More Family Time

What was your relationship with food like before starting your nutrition journey?

Food was my way of dealing with emotions. I would have a stressful day at work, and I’d go grab snacks and eat while playing my video games. 

I’d eat a full dinner, then turn around and eat a whole box of snack cakes, while drinking nothing besides soda and chocolate milk. It didn’t matter if I was mad, upset, happy or just whatever. I’d eat to celebrate and I’d eat to feel better. In retrospect, it was like I was trying to fill an emotional void. 

Basically, I ate to comfort myself whenever I was angry or upset. When I lost my temper, I’d turn to food to calm down. It wasn’t about hunger—I was just eating my feelings.

What motivated you to live healthier?

When my mom passed away last September, I freaked out because I had health issues like hers.  It scared me into hitting the gym. 

I also started intermittent fasting at that time and I was staying active enough the fat really started melting off. It was really motivating, so I just stuck with it and now it’s just a habit. I don’t eat after 7pm or before noon. I get my 8,000-12,000 steps every day, and I do my workouts almost every day. 

I knew I had to take control of my health to live a better life.

How has your mood and eating habits changed since using MyFitnessPal?

Before, I ate a lot of sweets, sodas, and other high-calorie foods and I felt bad, physically and emotionally, a lot of the time. Now, I focus on eating a lot of protein, like eggs and tuna. I stick mostly to single-ingredient whole foods. Since making these changes, I’ve noticed that I have a lot more energy to do the things I want to do. Emotionally, I feel better about everything in my life.

For one thing, I now have the energy to spend a lot more time being active with my children, which makes me so much happier. 

I used to come home from work and zone out playing video games. After I started eating healthier, I would come in from a workout, start cooking dinner, and hang out with the kids. We jam out to music and talk about how our days went. This really puts me and the kids in a great mood. We’re having more fun.

One day my wife hugged me one day and said, “Oh wow I can wrap my arms around you easier!” Just remembering it still makes me feel great.