Farewell lover!

Remember that time that I said I wouldn't be eating any "last meals" before starting to eat healthy?!? Remember? I do, but I must admit that I've been doing a little of that this week...okay, okay I've been doing that a lot. You see, I will be losing a very dear and close friend this Friday, and I needed to say farewell....to sugar / carbohydrates some would even call it the cocaine of the food industry...whatever its name, I will not be hanging out with it much in the future. And, so, we have been doing a lot of partying these past few days, and I must say that I feel LOUSY!! Not a shocker, but I feel crappy...low level headache, sick to my stomach, tired, brain fog...just plain blah! I mean who wouldn't feel terrible after eating a bagel for breakfast, 2 slices of cheese pizza for lunch and ramen noodles for dinner? No lie...I did it! And I feel gross! This attempt at getting in as much carbs as I can in the last few days is really making me HATE carbs.

I also said, that one time, that I wouldn't be giving up entire food groups in my quest for becoming healthier. Am I just full or crap? Can I even be trusted with what I say? But here is what I realized...I cannot be in control when I continue to eat sugar. Since January, I can honestly say that I have not made much progress in eating healthier...and I blame carbs...not me, the carbs!!  Yes, I am being a bit silly, but for someone who is a carbohydrate addict and has severe cravings that seem out of control, omitting carbohydrates is the best answer. I attempted to omit carbs from only one meal per day, but I was not successful so this is the next step. My goal is 20 g of carbohydrate per day. That would leave 5 per meal with one snack at 5 g, also. I do have a partner in this...my mom! So wish us luck.

Supplements

I keep talking about my supplements, and my focus on getting more disciplined in taking them. You may be wondering what the big deal is or how hard it can really be to just take them every day. Others may be wondering what I am taking. Or maybe no one is wondering anything...either way I'm gonna tell you! The issue of discipline is something that I need to work on, so the supplements are a small symptom of a bigger problem. By taking them regularly, it is evidence to me that I am moving forward, making positive changes and becoming more disciplined; which is empowering! It's not even about simply forgetting to take the supplements because sometimes I would remember, but still choose to not take them. Why??? I don't really have an answer for that one.

So here's what I am taking:

Some I bought and others I am taking because I got them free. Did I mention that I'm a sucker for freebies?!? I take them a few times throughout the day, which can be a nuisance (not gonna lie), but it is much better to take supplements this way so that you are able to utilize the nutrients more effectively. If I were to take the entire dosage at one time, I would simply have an expensive bowel movement. :)

Fish oil - omega 3 fatty acids. I really should be taking some omega 6, too. I'm going to start using chia seeds, so I'll get some O-6 that way.

Catalyn - a whole food multivitamin.

Iodoral - iodine. I am taking 36 mg per day to saturate all of my peripheral iodine receptors. I should be taking 50, but I seem to always forget the fourth dose. After a couple months at this dose, I will go down to the maintenance dose of 12 mg per day...much higher than the RDA, but the RDA is a joke, especially when it comes to iodine.

Symplex F - to support the female hormonal system.

Inositol - free :) Beneficial for things like panic attacks, anxiety and depression, but I'm taking them a.) because they were free and b.) because they also assist with fat burning.

Chromium - also free; helps with balancing blood sugar, and we all know how much I need that!

Cranberry - free! But I tend towards UTIs, so I grabbed this for healthy maintenance when it was offered at my part-time job. Also contains some probiotics.

Fiber - free :) Also contains probiotics.

Feverfew - more freebies! Supports a healthy inflammatory response.

Rhodiola Rosea - also free...Supports a healthy response to stress.

I should probably also be taking additional B vitamins, trace minerals, magnesium, gallbladder support and possibly digestive enzymes. I have a history of a couple gallbladder attacks, and I have many symptoms of a dysfunctioning gallbladder - nausea, pain at right shoulder blade area, difficulty digesting high fat food, and a few more that I'll spare you from hearing.

Well, there's the list of supplements, and maybe now you can understand why I have struggled with taking them regularly. It's not as simple as popping a couple of pills in the morning. I will say that I feel much better when taking them...more energy/pep and less nausea.

Negative Self-Talk

How successful can you be at achieving a goal when you secretly believe that it is nearly impossible to succeed?? Just last night, my boyfriend, his 12 year old son (Tyler) and I were playing basketball at the park. Tyler was setting up for a shot and said "I'm not gonna make it." And what do you think happened? He didn't make it! So, I proceeded to give him a speech about the power of our thoughts, and how he must see himself making the perfect shot every time he sets up for one. Of course, this post is not about basketball, nor is the opening question of this post about Tyler. It's about me. And just like Tyler, negative self-talk interferes with my ability to "make the shot". Recently, I was preparing food to bring to the office for lunch...canned tuna with mayo, cilantro, salt and pepper. (It was delicious with the cilantro, btw.) I cut up celery sticks to dip in the tuna rather than making a sandwich. I was very proud of my healthy avoidance of carbohydrates (don't pick apart my use of mayo, please), but just as quickly the thought jumped into my head..."Why are you working so hard at this when you'll be eating junk before the day is over?" And what do you think happened? First, I felt like a failure, and second I was, in fact, eating junk by day's end. Sooooo, now what?


This pattern of thinking also appears in my career. Recently, I volunteered to offer soft tissue treatment to athletes after a half-marathon. I wasn't sure where I was supposed to go, so I left my portable table in the car while I went searching for the organizer. I walked into a building and saw two physically fit men standing next to two very nice massage tables with a sign advertising their physical therapy office. I realized that this is where I should set up, so without talking to anyone went out to my car to get my table....no, scratch that, I went out to my car to leave!! I called my sister in a slight panic, feeling entirely inadequate. Here I was, overweight and out of shape with a table that was way too low to be doing soft tissue treatment on and no sign! Like a good sister, she talked me down from the ledge that I was perched on and ready to jump off, and encouraged me to go back...so I did. And I was so glad that I did. I had a wonderful time, and met some wonderful people...including the two physical therapists. Yeah, my back hurt after because my table was in fact too low, but all in all it was a great day and a great experience. I may not have ever experienced this, though, if I had given in to my initial thought to leave.


I have no words of wisdom as to how to overcome this habit of negative self-talk other than to simply start using positive self-talk whether or not you truly believe it just yet. I meet with the Life Coach at my chiropractic college every few weeks, and one of the things she has me working on is for every time I say something negative about myself, I have to say something positive. This is harder than it seems! Because first I have to identify when I am saying something negative. It has become such a pattern in my life that I don't always recognize when I'm doing it.


So, here is something positive I can say about myself...I have been very disciplined with taking my supplements this month, and I feel great! Both physically and mentally. Mentally because I am actually succeeding at following a plan; and physically because of the good nutrition the supplements are providing. Exercise remains elusive, but I will not negatively berate myself over it. The last item I have been focusing on this month is eating one meal per day without carbohydrates. I have only been successful five times....which leads me to the next phase....eliminating carbohydrates entirely. Gasp!?!*!@!#! Say it isn't so!!! For someone with cravings that feel out of control, continuing to eat carbohydrates is like continuing to drink alcohol while going to AA meetings. Counterproductive.


This post has gotten long enough, so in my next post I will discuss why I am targeting carbohydrates as the source of my problem. Stay tuned!