How many times have we said, “The diet starts tomorrow?” Then maybe, out of frustration, we add that little addendum, “And THIS TIME I MEAN IT!” We go shopping for some veggies and stuff we don’t normally eat, then by the middle of the week we’re back on the Fritos and the vegetables sit in the fridge and rot away. I’ve started to realize that I have set myself up to fail COUNTLESS times (and I mean that quite literally-I can’t count how many diets I have been on in my life) by having that mentality. I’ve even done it with the DDPYoga program many times. That program guide seems so restrictive the first time you read it, so you think, “I’ll do things my way. I’ll go Atkins plus DDPYoga.” Or, “I’ll won’t restrict gluten” or “I’ll eat oatmeal.”
That may be fine for some people, but for me it doesn’t cut it. The fact of the matter is, I’m 1 ½ months in on my workouts, but only a couple of weeks or so in on the actual nutrition program. I worked out for 6 days a week for the first month. I lost 7 pounds. That would be a great result for most people, but when you are looking to lose 135 pounds, you expect to lose 7 your first week.
Times have changed for me though. I’ve always heard that the more you diet and gain back, the harder your body works at holding onto the weight. Not only that, I’m about a year or so from 40, and at that age metabolism slows regardless of how active you are or restrictive you are with what you eat. And my body is holding onto every pound for dear life. 2 weeks ago I lost 4 pounds in a week…my best week yet. Then last week the scale didn’t budge in spite of doing tougher yoga workouts and adding cardio.
The best thing I did for myself this week was a viewing on Netflix of the documentary Hungry for Change. I rather tire of the old cliché, “It’s a lifestyle, not a diet.” But it is the absolute truth. That movie nailed it home for me. At one point, there was a statement that you must switch your brain from saying, “I can’t eat that” to “I choose not to eat that.” There is a huge difference. I have to choose not to eat gluten and GMO-laden food. So I dusted the old juicer off this week.
Results? It’s been a gamechanger for me. Rather than eating the gluten free toast, I have a more healthy influx of complex carbs in the morning. I’ve decided that my juice doesn’t have to taste sweet. By adding kale and tomatoes, it’s more of a peppery savory drink. At first I told myself, “This is medicine” to get over the initial shock of the taste. But every day it tastes better and better and I look forward to it. And it feels amazing. I get a nice pick me up out of it that doesn’t have the crash of coffee.
I’m owning it day by day, little by little, small changes adding up to big changes. The thin man in me is breaking through barrier after barrier.
Follow me on twitter @thinmanwithin
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