I went to the store on Sunday with my list, spent about an hour reading labels, etc. and was super excited about starting fresh. So I get home, and I realize I don't have enough food, I don't know what to bring to work for lunch and the gluten free bread was awful. I sort of ate the opposite of what I wanted to eat this past week, totally lost my focus. I ate sandwiches, dairy, chicken. I even buttered a bagel! What is wrong with me?
I've decided I am going to try harder next week, but not gonna cut everything out completely. I think I am going to work harder at the gym and eat chicken and dairy (cream cheese on bagels) only once in a while. I don't know who I became when I touched that butter because I HATE butter. I need to come up with a better plan. I want to be more vegetarian-ish during the week then let up on the weekends a little. I can't cut out beer but I want it to be a once in a while thing.
suggestions, thoughts, etc.
-Marysa
Have you ever started a diet only to find yourself at midnight frantically trying to fashion a dessert out of pretzels, mustard, whole wheat toast and honey? No??? Then you are a stronger person than I. My road to wellness is paved with many buttered bagels, frozen yogurt dinners followed by pizza desserts and cheese. Lots and lots of cheese. There have been many "Mondays", many "After the Holidays" and many, many "Tomorrows." The way I eat today has developed over a 15 year span of trial and error. (Sometimes lots of error…) After years on the "health" roller coaster, a few principles regarding diets have finally seeped into this hard head of mine.
1. Change one thing. And ONLY one thing.**
Oh, how badly we want to change. We want to go from a non-cooking, fast food eating, meat inhaling, tequila swilling party animal to a yoga going, raw food eating, organic garden growing, buddhist chanting zen master. And we want to do it overnight. Good luck with that. That is the equivalent of waking up one morning and deciding that you are going to run a marathon. The first guy who did that…you know…died. Sit down and write a list of the things about your health that you would like to improve. Then pick ONE thing off of that list and focus on that. Work on that one thing until you feel as if it is second nature to you. Then and only then add another thing from your list. Trying to do too much at once will only leave you feeling depleted, deprived and overwhelmed. That's right about the time that Cheez Whiz with chocolate sauce is going to seem like a good idea. It's not.
2. Tomorrow may be another day…but you are not another person.
Sure in the "tomorrow" version of yourself you are a perfect, unblemished being of logic and calm who never makes a wrong move or a flawed decision. But guess what?? That person never shows up because as soon as tomorrow arrives…whoops…it's today again. Wrap your brain around that riddle! You are who you are and change is made one reinforced habit at a time. Stop using "tomorrow" as an excuse to inhale a bag of chips.
All change begins today.
3. Be nice.
We are often nicer to our friends then we are to ourselves. When our friends come to us for help we are loving, nurturing, gentle and encouraging. We don't shout things at them like, "Yes, you do look fat in those pants and it is because you are a stupid, lazy fat-ass who can't control herself and ate four slices of pizza and I hate you!!!" But we (ahem) might repeatedly say awful things like that in our own heads. And think nothing of it. Start treating yourself like you would treat someone who you...ya know...actually liked. Learn to be patient and kind with yourself. All progress worth anything is made by simply putting one foot in front of the other…for a REALLY long time.
-♥ J :)
** It's just my little 'ole unsolicited opinion, but if you are looking for one change to make (and you are not a smoker, alcoholic, drug addict or suffer from an eating disorder) I would recommend giving up dairy. That one thing gives you the most change with the least amount of effort. By eliminating dairy from your diet you will lose weight, gain more energy, have glowing skin and clearer sinuses. You will notice a reduction in your allergies. Your sense of smell and taste will greatly improve. Your dark circles, under eye puffiness and jowls will disappear. If I told you I had a pill that would do all of those things you would already have your credit card out. My health improved ten fold just by doing that one thing.
