This lifestyle can be difficult, especially in the beginning, but so is living with extra weight, high blood pressure, diabetes, auto-immune disease, IBS, and all kinds of other symptoms of metabolic disease.
I like to remember that we are always depriving ourselves of something.
Either we are depriving ourselves of foods that taste amazing but cause all kinds of inflammation and weight gain, and this deprivation leads to health.
Or
We are eating and drinking all the things, but depriving ourselves of health & (more than momentary) happiness.
Both are hard.
Pick your hard.
Life-stealing hard or Life-giving hard.
Yes, it feels good in the moment to eat those appetizers or have a couple margaritas, but how does it feel tomorrow and next week after we stack those days together? The extra weight and ultimately health risks are miserable.
I have never regretted saying no to these things. Even when I think back to forgoing birthday cake at a party, that in the present feels like absolute torture, I never regret it later. Never.
But I have kicked myself many times for giving in to the sights, smells, and tastes of my favorite vices.
Do I ever have them? Yes, but I must be vigilant to not let it spiral me out of control and into binge mode for several days. This is a struggle, so often I just abstain and skip the battle altogether. I’m usually happier when I do.
One HUGE key to success on this journey is the mindset of delaying gratification.
You WILL feel gratified, the future is not bleak, but in the moment your brain will try to convince you that it’s too hard and unsustainable. It can literally kick you into fight or flight mode as our stress hormones rise because of the temptation battle in your brain.
Addiction is real.
But I promise you, it is possible to overcome! YOU are the only one that can put it into your mouth. You are in charge, not your craving brain. You are getting stronger every time you walk away.
Think of your brain like a muscle, build the muscle of delayed gratification!
I met several people on this journey at the conference I went to last month that have been living this way for 5 - 10 years. No regrets, only gratitude for their choices.
Sure, it’s a journey filled with ups and downs and sometimes sideways, but never regretting picking the “life-giving hard.”
One day at a time ladies, one day at a time.
He’s where the peace is,
Sue