Marshall Reid - Portion Size Me: A Kid-Driven Plan to a Healthier Family

Meet Marshall

Hi, my name is Marshall Reid. When I was ten, I asked my mom if we could do the opposite of the Super Size Me documentary and be healthy for a month. Super Size Me is that movie where a guy ate McDonalds for thirty days. I asked to do this because my classmates were making fun of me and I didnt feel good. I couldnt run and keep up. I wasnt fast enough to play tag and ball with kids at recess. And I always pulled on my clothes to keep them from creeping up on my stomach. We ate out a lot and I snacked a lot. I just felt like something had to change because I was getting really unhappy. I was worried that I was always going to feel that way.

I was happy my mom listened, and we sat down together and talked about what we thought healthy meant to us. We decided on some things that we thought sounded reasonable to us, like cooking more and reading ingredients. We talked a lot about changing habits and making new onesgood ones for a lifetime. My mom asked me if there were people I wanted to be like. She asked me how I wanted to feel when I was a teenager and when I was an adult. It helped me to picture in my mind how to get to those feelings. My mom, sister, and I talked a lot about physical activity and exercise. My mom asked me what kinds of foods I liked and if I would help her in the kitchen. We decided to call our project Portion Size Me because it was similar to but opposite of that movie, and a part of our problem was that we just ate too much!

We have had lots of fun and many adventures with this project, and we wanted to share them with you. In fact, its not just a project anymore. It has become our life. It isnt always easy, but I will tell you that it does get easier and easier as you keep going.

This book is a mix of two types of books: a cookbook and the story of my familys journey to healthier living. I dont want to spoil the story, so Im not saying anything other than it was a success! So come on, lets Portion Size Me!

Meet Marshalls Mom (aka Alex)

Portion Size Me came from the mouth of babes. My babe! And I am so proud of him!

When Marshall suggested the concept, I was excited for a project to do together that would unite us and perhaps even help him build his self-esteem. He is such a rich and colorful young person, and I want him to feel good about sharing his personality and to not feel inhibited because of his self-image or feel sad because of playground meanness. I was very surprised that he identified and spoke out about his needs at only ten years old. The internal strength it must have taken him, and the self-awareness and ability to put it into words, are among the many traits that make him a dynamic and colorful personality. I knew right away this project was going to be very good for all of us.

As we got underway and I began to observe our habits from a new and fresh perspective, it became clear to me that some absences and voids needed to be addressed. In particular, I noticed the absence of proper respect for food and focus on its nutritional value, and the void of good habits and the self-discipline to back up those habits. After just a few conversations with Marshall about how we were going to lay this project out, it occurred to me that I was the one responsible for not empowering Marshall with the healthy connections to food that would follow him into adulthood. I learned from Marshall that he had become an emotional eater and not a fuel-driven eater. That made me worry that, as an adult, he would continue to turn to food for comfort and other emotional needs instead of feeling the simple joyful appreciation of foods ability to keep ones body functioning.

Once Marshall and I agreed on our Portion Size Me goals, I next had to figure out how to incorporate them into our very busy schedules. After all, I believe our schedules were what began to dictate our food choices for conveniences sake. I looked for ways to simplify our schedules and organize my time better, such as writing out a grocery list for a week at a time instead of stopping by the store every other day to pick up a few quick things.

I looked at the kitchen from a historical perspective, and I then considered the modern technologies developed to aid with cooking. I spoke with my neighbor, who already has grown children, and a few friends about how they felt about their kitchens. I dont mean what appliances they had, how their cabinets looked, or whether or not they liked the design of their kitchens, but rather the emotions and feelings their kitchens evoked. Why is it, for example, that whenever you entertain, everyone lingers in the kitchen despite other wide-open spaces with comfy couches and tables? I believe its because we know that the kitchen is a source of comfort and the place where one builds connections with others.