10,000 People with 10,000 Stories in 10,000 Hours

Over the years I have been extremely fortunate to have access to many different types of food. Having that access allowed me an array of choices when it came to eating. After gaining 20 pounds the two years following high school I realized that although I had power to make choices when it came to food, I often chose fast food and junk food. About six months ago I had an overwhelming feeling to get healthy by exercising and eating right. I have lost 15 pounds so far and I feel so much better. By eating fruit, veggies, lean meats, and other healthy snacks I learned that having a choice is an amazing thing. By taking advantage of my power to chose I have transformed by body and will continue to live a healthy life.

-Megan MaGill

I took a trip out to Pittsburg Pennsylvania to visit my cousins. My uncle owned a corner store there, and that was what I was really excited to get to! Over the next month that I was there the corner store became my life! I tried new things that my mom had never let me eat before! Not realizing that I was gaining weight by every bag of chips and soda that I consumed. By the time I left I had gained over 8 pounds!! This was a learning experience I will never forget. Now that I am older and wiser I take time to take into consideration what I put in my body before I just go “way too far”. :)

I had toyed with the idea of becoming a vegetarian for a few years. I felt that I should eat less meat for environmental and health reasons, but I didn’t believe that I would actually be able to be a vegetarian. This was partly because I didn’t want to give up my favorite dishes, but I think the not knowing how to make the change was a stronger deterrent, and ultimately had me feeling unable to control what I ate.

Becoming a vegetarian happened accidentally. I started dating a boy who was a vegetarian, and we began sharing meals. I realized that his choice to avoid meat was not a daily struggle, but a daily choice, and it was a choice that I could make. Vegetarianism has stayed with me and made me very happy (and so has the boy!). I may not always be a vegetarian, but I will always know that I am in control of what I eat, because I can choose.

I looked forward to the 4 hours drive between Washington D.C. and Raleigh, North Carolina that me and my Dad took when I was a little girl. I had my favorite stops along the way…Waffle House and fast foods we didn’t have in D.C. I would take a small nap, wake up to ask “where are we?”  It didn’t matter really because as long as we were just outside of Richmond Va or passing Richmond - I knew that a Waffle House wouldn’t be far!  My dad liked to drive fast which was only problematic when he wanted to make time and didn’t want to stop! So, my secret was to have to go to the bathroom - of course near a eating place as opposed to stopping at the rest stops, that never had food. Driving fast was usually alright because the final destination of course was Grandma’s house.The sooner we got there the better. Before leaving our house we would call her and let her know we were getting on the road. That triggered  her beginning to cook and timing things just so everything would be ready, when I came running through the screen door! Big hug and kiss for grandma and grandpa - and next “What’s to eat?!”