Nine months ago I started on a journey to clean up my diet. Three months ago my journey was derailed...or rather, I jumped on the wrong track.
We were in Reno for a bowling tournament/vacation and we decided we would treat ourselves. Eat whatever we wanted for just a week. Then a week turned into a month, then three months. And all the while I had excuse after excuse after excuse. "It's hard to eat clean when you're eating out all three meals". "One week of potatoes and rice and cheese won't hurt". "The good foods are too expensive." I could go on and on. But in the end, when I really looked back, not one excuse was a true VALID excuse.
Sure, it is hard to eat "clean" when you're not preparing the foods. But that didn't mean I had to order french fries and mashed potatoes. I could have substituted a salad where at least I had a little more control and nutritional value. I could have bypassed the danishes and the buffet and loaded up on fresh fruit.
Sure an occasional potato or serving of cheese won't hurt. Problem is, I can't stop at the occasional serving. Food is like my cigarette or beer. I love to eat! And I love to eat good food! And I can't always filter my brain when one side says "choose this healthy option" and the other side says "no you really want that unhealthy option". It's like the devil and the angel sitting on each shoulder and the devil drowns out the angel.
However, the last few days I have reached a point where eating ANYTHING gives me a stomach ache. I know I have to start ignoring the devil and listening to the angel. And so I'm developing my plan.
1st - I must start blogging regularly again. Maybe no one will read it, but it will help hold me accountable to put the thoughts out there in the cyber world knowing someone might read them.
2nd - I'm going to start journaling - whatever is on my mind, diet related or not. I'm hoping this will help me drill down as to what causes me to make the poor decisions. What moods or events affect my choices? How am I feeling physically, emotionally and spiritually by the end of the day?
3rd - Get back on track with exercise. Yoga is so restorative to me even if it does make me sweat. And just stretching and working my muscles make me feel good - and help with my chronic low back pain.
The hardest thing of this plan is going to be getting over the excuses and disciplining myself. But this stomachache has got to stop so no time like the present!
