It took me awhile to fully understand that eating healthy and working out wasn't just for getting to a certain destination (body size).
I would yo yo and yo yo back and forth. From that weight, to this weight. Cutting out carbs all together, to eating ONLY carbs.
With so many "rules" we hear from advise from our friends, read in magazines, were told by our parents, We have been blinded from actually LISTENING and FEELING what our bodies are telling us we need.
And instead were going by guidelines we think we must follow to lose weight or whatever health goals we have.
As you know, deciding to go on a diet usually starts like this.
We wake up one day look in the mirror or hop on a scale and see the results from the month we took "time off" from the gym and making meals at home.
We then make an oath to 'punish' ourselves. (In otherr words we declar ourselves were going on a DIET...ooooOO)
Then we all have our own diets we like to try, we limit our calories, we cut out main food groups, we don't eat when were hungry but when we think we've gone long enough, or skip breakfast or dinner. Or worse have a soda for lunch. Promise ourselves to hit the gym twice a day everyday for two weeks.
And we expect ourselves to stick to this!?
We are pretty crazy people.
Because when we try to deprive ourselves and set these strict rules we set for ourselves as punishment for being 'bad', we sooner or later do what our body natural does..... we rebel like the lost boys.
It's a pretty horrible feeling this process. Followed immediatly by guilt, depression, the feeling of weakness.
A few years ago 5 pounds after my weekend cruise of bingeing on sweets and tequila, I was ready to lose the weight IMMEDIATLY not next month, right now gosh darn it.
I mean, if someone wouldve told me then that I shouldn't 'punish' myself for letting lose and not to rush to lose 2 1/2 pounds per week for the next few weeks, I would have punched them in the face and told them to mind their own bees wax.
After all I feel disgusting and they have no idea what it's like... right?
It's hard to learn but once you really start to believe and understand that weight and body shape is not a destination but a FOREVER journey to maintain your natural, healthy, specially-meant-and-designed-for-you body weight. You will yo yo from diet to diet in diet HELL.
What I mean by your natural, healthy, specially-meant-and-designed-for-you body weight is the weight you are when you only eat when your hungry, stop when your full, and are average active at least three days a week.
I know.... but you want to be magazine perfect, right? That will be the only way to ever be happy.
.........nope, let me tell you a little story
Ive been at the best shape of my life three years ago... lowest weight, lowest body fat lean mean training machine. Working with a trainer, ate the same thing everyday. Was it maintainable?
Absolutely not.
Could I not ever eat out again, measure six proportioned little meals per day, train an hour high intensity cardio everyday, and never eat a carb again?
I would never ever ever wish to be that size again....
And even though I can daydream about how great I looked back in the day, I would never try for that again.
IN THE END I WASN'T HAPPY.
I mean how could I be? I had alienated myself from friends, my mood swings were everywhere, and keeping this crazy body composition maintained, it was like going against my own natural current.
Took over all my energy and focus from my family, school, work. My life.
So I guess what I'm trying to say from my own personal experience is that a number on a scale isn't going to magically make you love yourself.
Seeing 115 isn't going to make your life better.
You've got to love your body now even the lumps, the bumps, and cellulite (or whatever). and pay attention to when your body is asking for instead of what rules you think you should follow.
When your body is thirsty and needs hydration drink liquids. When your tummy is grumbling, eat.
There is no exact diet you must follow or certain times or portions you must eat.
It really simple stop and breath. Take your time with food. Ask yourself if your hungry constantly. (While you eat and even when your not eating.) Make everytime you work out or eat feel like a meditation session.
Smile :)
It's okay to change unhealthy habits, Im not saying it's not. But, focus on changing one bad habit at a time. Bad habits like eating when your not hungry, eating past your comfortable fullness, eating things that aren't good for your body (tons of sweets).
Stop dieting and start living like I did. Stop the mentality of punishing yourself and instead start being gentle and love yourself today.
In this world we are in now.... it's a hard concept to take in. But the sooner you completely understand that dieting is self destructing, not a solution, you WILL be set free :)
You choose when to start
