All You Can Eat

Fitness writer Muireann Carey-Campbell reveals the extent of her food phobia – and the way she’s beating it

- Muireann Carey-Campbell

Croissants. Cookies. Chips. These aren’t the kinds of foods you’d expect to find in the pantry of an exercise fanatic. But until recently, I’ve battled intense anxiety before mealtimes, always opting for the same (not very healthy) foods. I’m amazed how other people manage to navigate a billion food choices every day without having dozens of mini-meltdowns, like I do.

I’m not a foodie; it doesn’t interest me. Rather, figuring out what to eat has caused me stress for as long as I can remember. I was a picky eater as a child, despite my parents’ endless attempts to introduce me to new foods. We’d eat dinner together every night – such as a chicken and vegetable stir-fry with rice – but my mother would have to make me a separate meal, like plain chicken with potatoes. Yes, I was that child – fussy. And I never grew out of it.

Now, at 35, I have a list of about 10 “safe foods” and I just eat those. Every day. I’m a spin instructor, teaching more than seven classes a week, I walk everywhere, try out new fitness classes all the time. I move – a lot. I should be eating around 9,800kJ a day. In theory, I know I should be eating more, eating differently, adding variety, but the thought of trying to figure all that out is so overwhelming, I simply shut down when faced with the prospect of having to do it.