Fatness 2 Fitness

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Fat Kids Need Love Too....Just Less Candy


I must admit that I wasn't really a "fat kid" growing up, not a "husky kid" or even a "pudgy kid"....or at least that is what I've led myself to fully believe all these years. I think that around 12 years old I got a paper route which enabled me to spend my newfound fortune each payday at the local Dairy Queen and/or candy store (The Washington Market if you're ever in Yuba City, CA and need a "Melonheads fix"..if they still make them). This is where the carb loading, junk food gorging, chocolate addicted side of me truly began to gain its monstrous form.
Candy is crack for kids...this is a universal truth in my experience. And I was hooked on this stuff...I mean...somedays I thought that I'd quit that damn paper route if it weren't for the sweet, sweet taste of candy waiting for me each payday. One day however while finishing my 6th Reeses Peanut Butter Cup in a row, licking the sticky melted chocolate and peanut butter grease off my fingers (only I could make a glorious peanut butter cup sound gross) it hit me....."I wonder if all this is candy is bad for me?" The paper route soon ended.
Needless to say...I got better, became addicted to the opposite sex instead of candy (possibly just as dangerous if not more so in the long run) and started becoming more active in sports at school and with friends. Around 16 or 17 years old the baby fat (and I'll admit..Candy Fat) started to melt away and finally full blown interest in the opposite sex grew to become an all consuming addiction...which I still look back on with genuine fondness....and unfortunately embarrassment for all the mistakes I made (Remember this was before the media blatantly paraded sex over the airwaves during Prime Time...and I really could've used the help damn them). But food, particularly candy wasn't ruling my life....I shook that sweet chocolate monkey off my back for good...or so I thought.
Fast forward nearly 12 years later and that damn monkey is back! My tastes are more refined now, Melonheads have been replaced by Carrie's brownies (legal ingredients...just because we're from California doesn't make us dirty Hippies), dark chocolate and gourmet desserts. I'm supposed to be a "manly man"...working out, swearing when appropriate and appreciating sports...yet I still love candy. So now as I sit and look at my apple (wishing it was covered with caramel) and grab my turkey sandwich (wishing it was an ice cream sandwich) each day I realize that I'm a "junkfood junkie"....and only watching what I eat, hitting the gym and avoiding these sweet temptations will keep me from early retirement in Fat City, USA. Acceptance is the first step..I think...or maybe it's calling everyone I've hurt by my candy addiction? Either way I'm on the road to recovery....mmmmm...Rocky Road.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home