Let’s Talk Struggles.

I’d be lying to you if I told you that this journey has been easy peasey. Yes, it’s been fun, rewarding and “easy” for the most part and I am l truly enjoying it. However, the fact that I have literally done a 180 in my lifestyle, guarantees I will encounter some battles along the way, between the person I used to be and the person I am becoming.

Let me start at the beginning. I have struggled with my weight my entire life. Ever since I can remember I have “watched what I ate”. Whether it was counting calories, counting points or eating what I thought were the “right” foods, I obsessed over what I ate for at least 19 years. That’s sad and that’s way too long. It makes me so angry that we as a society have gotten so far from what is truly healthy. We are constantly fed lies about what is healthy and what the proper way to fuel our bodies is. But that’s a whole different post, so I digress. Back to my story…. After 19+ years of trying different methods to lose weight and eventually failing at every single one, I was, to say the least, discouraged. I came to a point that I felt like I was destined to be overweight and unhappy forever and I almost gave up. But then, by the grace of God, I stumbled across Paleo and began reading others stories of how eating a Paleo diet had changed their lives. Each story very different but with a couple of common bonds. People were losing weight and drastically improving their health, almost effortlessly. Something finally clicked for me and I realized that if I wanted to see true and lasting change I needed to put my health first. So I did. I started eating Paleo and the fat literally began to melt off. After just a few months I joined a CrossFit gym and the results I saw were almost unbelievable. And the best part? It felt SO easy! I was enjoying the food I was able to eat, I FELT so much better and the supportive community I found at my gym kept me coming back, as often as my schedule would allow. So yes, it was “easy” for quite a while but then after about 4 months I fell “off track” from eating strict Paleo and have YET to really get back on. This has been the biggest struggle for me. I know exactly what I need to do but just can’t seem to do it. I keep allowing little exceptions  here and there and those eventually lead to multiple days of  eating whatever the heck I want. I have to make a conscious effort to NOT eat these foods and weed out the cravings. The authors of “It Starts With Food” (ISWF) refer to these foods as “food-with-no-brakes”. Processed foods are engineered to keep you coming back for more, time and time again, not to fulfill your nutrition needs. Due to the exceptions I continue to make my progress has come to a halt and I may have even begun to regress a little bit. It feels a little like I’m starting back at square one but I need to remember just how far I have come, in a short period of time and that I will get back on track and I WILL reach my goals. I want this blog to be an honest reflection of my journey. It seems to me that people talk a lot about how amazing and easy Paleo is but I rarely hear of people sharing their struggles, in this lifestyle. I have even thought that I shouldn’t share mine because I felt it was a sign I was weak. But I want this blog to be different. I want this blog to help others. Yes, Paleo is “easy” in the grand scheme of things but the brain is powerful and it takes dedication and time to rewire. I know that once I commit again whole-heartedly to eating the right foods the cravings will go away, I just need to DO it…… #JERF! (Just Eat Real Food).

Ten months ago even the thought of sharing my before and “after” photos would have absolutely humiliated me… But I have come so far in the past ten months, struggles and all, that I now love sharing them because I know that they can be an inspiration to others. I am still FAR from where I want to be and that gets discouraging at times but these pictures serve as a reminder that I WILL get there and probably sooner than I realize.

Dont’ give up, people! Keep pushing toward your goals. You will get there! “Without struggle there is no progress”. So true. So true.

 

The first change you need to make is your mindset.

I love this quote because I think it sums up this journey I’m on pretty spot on. We all experience setbacks, whether they are brought on by ourselves or others and how we react to those setbacks can either break us down or build up our character and strengthen us. I choose to use my failures and setbacks as life lessons, through which I can learn and improve myself on.

It’s been 9 months and 1 week since I got serious about my health and fitness. I joined a CrossFit gym and committed to (as close to) 100% Paleo as possible. I didn’t want the work I put in at the box to be in vain, especially because I thought I was GOING TO DIE during every single WOD and I knew that what I chose to eat was going to greatly impact the results I would see. I stuck with it very diligently for a little over 3 months but then a trip to North Carolina and Maryland sent me off track and the Holidays rolled around causing me to go even more off track. In all honesty, almost 6 months later I had yet to TRULY get back on track. My progress slowed then eventually stopped altogether, I may have even regressed a little. My mindset had settled back into it’s old ways. Instead of focusing on health I was again focusing on fat-loss  and my results were suffering from it. When I initially fell off track I was still consistently losing 3+ inches every 4 weeks, so I easily became unmotivated to make wise food choices. I felt like I was still making decent food choices, the majority of the time, but I wasn’t really being honest with myself and I was making many more exceptions than I realized. It’s easier to make exceptions when you’re only thinking of the “here and now” but when you think about how these choices are going to affect your health long-term, it makes it much easier to make the right choice. I turned 30 4 days ago, which was a bit of a reality check. At the beginning of this week I again committed to eating REAL food(meat, nuts, healthy fats, fruits and veggies), at least 90% of the time. I am already feeling better mentally and emotionally and hope that my progress will pick back up shortly. I have just shy of three months before my one year anniversary of CrossFit and Paleo and I really want to see some  significant progress between now and then. Changing my focus from fat loss to health and making sure I  give 110% in the gym is what really made a difference for me at the beginning of my journey and I want that mindset back!

It’s really pretty simple- choosing real foods and working out harder & smarter(not longer!) will get you the results you desire. Give it your all and be honest with yourself- are you REALLY giving it your ALL or are you giving the bare minimum, expecting major results?<— I’m preaching to myself right here! It’s time to take responsibility for my health again and give my body what it wants and needs!

Here’s to the next three months!