Let's start with step 1. (by the way, these steps are absolutely not thought out and I am making them up as I go...I don't know how many steps there will be or even what they are. I hardly know what step I'm on right now) For the first step, I cut out a lot of food that I had become so accustomed to eating and rarely thought about them being bad for me. I certainly wasn't naive to the fact that they were bad for me, but I wasn't really aware of why they were bad or to what extent. I cut out (almost) all of the foods that had any sort of artificial colors and flavors, and anything with hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. This was a daunting task because seriously everything I was used to eating had all of this stuff. Once I was informed about how bad this stuff is for my body, I was too disgusted to eat it anymore. That helped in implementing a quick change to eliminated the bad. The next step was to replace that bad with better choices. Mostly what I'm talking about here is snack foods. Meals are a whole other ball game for a whole other step. I started buying all natural snacks including crackers, cereal, cheese, yogurt and even cookies. All natural meaning that they are made with whole foods and whole grains instead of fake junk. This step was actually pretty exciting because I realized I didn't have to actually give up snacks, I just had to find different brands that made better versions of the snacks I enjoy, and honestly, some of them are better than the ones I used to eat. We made this change pretty much overnight. It was costly, but it was completely worth it. Now it is just second nature. I haven't even tasted Lucky Charms or Ritz Crackers since we switched, and I like my new versions better. (Mom's Best Mallow Oats and Back to Nature Classic Rounds). I started feeling a little better after we made these first few changes. I felt better because of the junk I had taken out of my diet, but I also felt better about the idea of actually making changes in my diet.
The next step (2...or 3...or something) started last week. My friend, Leah, has taken it upon herself to help/coach me along in this journey, and I am beyond grateful for her help. I met with her last week, and we talked about the issues I have with food and the progress I've already made, but also the progress that still needs to be made. I have conquered a lot with changing our snack foods and switching to organic milk and fruit, but there are still these 3 giant hurdles to overcome everyday, and they are breakfast, lunch and dinner. I cannot call what I'm doing changing my diet if I'm not changing my actual meals. The meals are much harder to overcome because they consist of a lot more varieties than what I'm ready to try. Either way, it must be done. We've started with the most manageable of the three: breakfast. For the last 7 days, we have made smoothies for breakfast. These aren't just any smoothies. They are mega smoothies packed with tons of nutrients that I haven't had in my body since I was forced to eat green beans at the dinner table when I was 5. Our smoothies have a banana, a peach, strawberries, yogurt, milk and get this: spinach. I know it sounds crazy, but let me tell you what, they are delicious!!! And besides that, they are so ridiculously good for me! Kai and Cory love them too. I have been amazed with the difference in how I have felt just after a week of introducing these "new" foods. I've completely skipped my usual 10 am blood sugar crash, and I haven't taken any naps all week. These might not seem like that big of a deal, but for someone who has about 3 sugar crashes a day and can barely function without a nap, they're huge! It's crazy to think that one drink in the morning can make that big of a difference, but it has.
So, that's where I am right now. I have a long way to go and many more changes ahead, but I'm proud of myself for how far I've come, and I can't wait to see what else is in store and how much better I can feel when I conquer more. For anyone still reading by this point, thank you for letting me share my journey with you. I would appreciate any prayers and support that you can offer because this is a tough road ahead. I know I'll have weak days where all I want is pizza (heck, that's actually everyday), but I hope that one day eating healthy will become second nature and I won't have to try so hard to overcome weaknesses. Here's to taking on step 4...or is it step 5? Either way, I'm ready!
No comments:
Post a Comment