One week anniversary

Officially, yesterday was day 7 without any sugar or simple carbs (for me that includes no pasta, rice, bread, etc.)!!! Woohoo!

I don't have any particular goal or time frame for not eating sugar, I'm just trying not to eat it anymore. I felt like it was time to make more of an effort. I've spent the last year or so bemoaning my fate when I eat unhealthy food and I finally decided that I do not want to do that anymore. Yes, it means sacrifice and maybe turning down a dinner invite or two, but I think in the long run it will be worth it. Well, it's my health, so I know it will be worth it.

It's been a weird week. I think it took me a couple of days before I felt like I was "detoxing." That is, headaches and kinda moody, and a few more days of rotating moods, happy, then sad, upbeat, then melancholy, etc. It's almost feels like an emotional thermostat trying to reset itself. I don't know how else to describe it. I can honestly say that I feel better. I'm a little bit more tired still, but I think my body is trying to adjust to living on fewer calories. I'm not starving myself or anything, I just find that I can't eat as much in one sitting when the food is nutrient dense, which is a good thing. The base of my diet is vegetables, lean meats (mostly eggs and poultry), and healthy fats.

So my plan is just to go as long as I can and pay attention to how my body responds. My main goal is to help control the amount of calories I eat and to make sure the base of my diet is nutritious. I know I eat a TON more when I eat sugar -  don't know why exactly, but I think it's something like this. When I eat sugar, I'm getting a lot of calories, but no nutrients. I think my body responds by saying, "Hey! We got enough calories, but we don't have enough building blocks here (proteins, amino acids, enzymes, anti-oxidants, etc.) - you gotta eat some more!" So I crave more food, unfortunately, cravings typically cause me to eat unhealthy food, which only gives me more calories, but essentially starves my body of what it needs. So what does it do? Store the excess calories (turning love handles into a loveseat!) and keep me running to the fridge, or the store, or the fast food restaurant.

Again, I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure that's exactly what's going on. Anyway, I have noticed that I do not crave things as often. I still get cravings once in a while, especially the first few days (trust me, it was a fight not to give in!), but now I seem to be having fewer and they are less intense. That makes me feel good and also makes me feel like I am doing the right things.

I know I have a long way to go. I've lived for so long not understanding how my own body works that I've left myself open to temptations and whims and I finally feel like I'm just beginning to understand how to get it under control. In one sense though, the damage is done and I have to accept the consequence of my actions in making me this heavy.

Sorry if this expression is too crude for you, but it's a reall kick in the crotch to realize that even though I was innocently ignorant, it doesn't change the fact that the way I am is a result of my own choices. That's been a tough one for me to accept. But I think I'm at the point where I realize I have to accept it before I can move forward. And, of course, no one else can change my body for me. Whether I feel it's fair or not to be the way I am and regardless of whether I accept it as a result of my own actions, no one can lose the weight for me. I have to be the one to fix it, even if I feel like I'm not the one who caused me to be fat in the first place.

So, that's what I'm trying to do and now I've got 7 sugar-free days under my belt, which I hope will translate into much fewer pounds under my belt down the road. I want to thank everyone who's been supportive of me in eating healthy and encouraging me to keep going, even when I feel like I've failed. I know I have to be the one to change, but I couldn't do it alone either.

p.s. I'll just put in a plug here for Elder Uchtdorf's talk in this last Priesthood Session on Patience. It's AMAZING and been a very timely message for me.

I already know I'll be eating out twice next week, so my goal is to make healthier choices and not overdo it on anything. I feel confident that I can successfully navigate eating out now that I've had this week to encourage me and help me remember that eating healthy really does make a difference in how I feel and I really do want to feel good!