To lose is to GAIN

THE GREAT WITHDRAWAL.

As I sit here eating my healthy bowl of breakfast, I realize that it is important I let you know about my journey so far and the revelations I’ve had.

I have been exhausted and even more drained this past week after starting this diet. Diet meaning no sugars, no breads, no starch… so basically proteins like meat and nuts, veggies, and oils (with berries included). However, the thought of NO ice cream or cereal haunted me. And then the thought of not even having a refreshing banana smoothie, shook me! On other diets that cut sugars, I usually relied on fruit for my sugar cravings. So you can see how difficult and depriving it has been. I honestly think I DO have an addiction to sugar, and I’m sure a majority of you do as well.

Starting from Monday, May 11, I deprived myself of sugars and those nasty (but oh-so delicious) breads of all sorts. I also want to make another important thing clear, I did NOT deprive myself of food, just the things I listed (and yes, there are foods that exist that aren’t sugary or of the bread family). Anyways, I really went through a withdrawal! I kept on craving sweets even more being on restrictions, but I did not collapse. With the proper support of family, I have been able to dodge temptations and indulgences knowing I would better myself and finally see food as it is: food.

Here’s the revelation:

Food had become something I depended on, not only for keeping me alive and well, but also a means of de-stressing. I realized I’m an emotional eater, the one who will shuffle to the kitchen when I have work to do, the one who munches down on snacks 24/7, the one who sniffs out the chocolate and ice cream in the fridge. I feel as though we’ve all been there at some point where you know you aren’t hungry, but you want to eat anyway.

The major revelation I stumbled on was that I not only need to change my eating habits, but I NEED to change my mindset too. I need to understand why I have been struggling the way I’ve been over the past several years and dig deep down internally to set things straight, to set my life straight.

I began reading into emotional eating and the causes of stress. The research has led me to shocking conclusions and eerily relatable sightings. I stress easily, so unless I find out why I over-stress and how to manage my mind, I won’t move forward, I’ll be going in a circle. My stress and lack of controlling it over the several years has pushed me to embrace the stress and anxiety in a way of depending on food as temporary support and satisfaction. However, the over-indulgence of food has left me even more stressed and heavy, which guided my in a state of depression and low self-esteem.

NOW is the time to BREAK the CHAINS.

With all the insights and psychology behind emotional eating, breaking the chains relies on YOU. YOU need to make the decision and I pray you do along with me. It will be hard, it will be agonizing, but as you proceed in the process with perseverance, you will see progress, you will see results. (read the following to yourself)

I am breaking the chains on my unhealthy eating habits and taking my life into my hands rather than food running my life. I have control over my mindset. I have control over my outlook. I have control over what I eat. I have control over how I speak to myself.

I have control over how soon I try again after I fail.

NOW, you might know this already, but do you BELIEVE it? You must truly believe in yourself to transform. You must envision it as though you can almost reach it right out in front of you. Take that beautiful vision and use that as your motivation; so when you forget and run into temptation or even collapse in the process, you can brush it off, FORGIVE yourself, and remember WHY you are running this race in the first place!

I’m on DAY 9 and will see my progress tomorrow! I’m actually super excited! Besides being tired from the withdrawal, I am less bloated than before! I am also beginning to feel better and I think I’m regaining my energy back gradually.

Sacrificing that ice cream and that sugary cereal and bread REALLY means gaining something even BETTER! All successes take sacrifice. But, when you lose one thing you gain another. And that, my friend, is how you will TRANSFORM.