Getting started

A couple of things came together for me recently and got me from thinking to doing. The first was when a friend of mine posted on Facebook that she had gone 100 days avoiding certain foods. She talked about how after the first week her body and brain were done detoxing and then it was all about "planning and prepping" I am abstaining from: corn derivatives (including popcorn), wheat, rice, potatoes, and anything fried. I chose these things, after much thought, because they are my go to vices. I'm almost 48 and I know myself well.  Have I included every vice imaginable? No. This is a start, an experiment, and a learning process.

The second thing that came together for me was when I watched the following YouTube video:



I really liked what Shay said about getting out of pool, he made a choice.
I made a choice on 7/13/16 to start right then (sometime after I'd eaten lunch) and to go a year. I'm intrigued by 1 year Blogs because of the movie Julie and Julia I coincidentally started a year long Blog on 7/13/15 for listening to music. When I realized it was the same day I felt a deep affirmation in my decision.

So here goes, a year seems long and short at the same time. Am I hoping I loose weight and "look" better? yes that would be wonderful. I have had a roller coaster of successes and disappointments over my adult life with weight losses and gains. I know how to stick to a plan and have always had success at loosing weight when I make up my mind. My biggest obstacle is navigating life with consistency. Here I'm going to focus on how I feel rather than on what pants I can or can't wear. 

I am reading "Meant to Eat: A Practical Guide to Developing a Healthy Relationship With Food" (Lindsay M. Reinholt).  She tells her readers to write a "Why List" here's mine:

• I'm tired of feeling like a whale
• I want to show myself respect
• I want to have more energy after work and on the weekends to really Live
• I want to be in control of my eating like I am in control of my drinking or other related areas
• I want to love myself no matter what size I am
• I want to not be consumed with what I perceive are the thoughts of others 

Next Lindsay writes that from the list we should write a letter to ourselves regarding what we want to change:
Dear Me,
I hope to achieve a healthy relationship with food. I want to change how much I eat and why I eat.I want to believe in myself and not be consumed by the discouragement and encouragement I feel that are solely based on how I look or how I think others (or what I know others think b/c they tell me) judge me based on my appearance. If I achieved this goal I will be free, I will feel like I own my life, and I will be at peace with myself. Others might notice that I have confidence in myself and the choices I make. I could impact others when I am confident in what I  prepare for them to eat.
With much love,
Me