This is Crazy, This is Crazy, This is Crazy

My latest endeavor is crazy, but my hope is the benefits will far outweigh the craziness.

I saw this book on a friend's Facebook post, and since I love Christmas Abbott, I had to read it. And except for the hundreds of grammar/editing issues (I'm not even kidding), the information was fabulous, even for someone who graduated from college with a degree in Kinesiology.

***Writer's note: there may be mistakes in my writing, as well. I'm not perfect. But I also don't have an editor and publisher. Big difference.***

I have to admit, I didn't listen much in my nutrition classes. As a naturally slender person, worrying about my food intake was never a major concern. I could literally eat whatever I wanted and not gain fat. All of that has drastically changed in my thirties. And considering my forties are only two months away, I knew it was time to make a change.

My biggest concern of late was how incredibly fast I could gain and lose weight. Within a seven day period, my weight could fluctuate between five and ten pounds, and I knew exactly why. If I was eating a lot, the pounds went on. If I wanted to lose the weight, I simply starved myself for three days. Not healthy at all.

The root of it all was the food I was eating. I love junk food and sweets. Period. Exclamation mark. I crave it like any other addict. A Dr. Pepper and a box of Bottlecaps candy satisfied my cravings like no other. I knew if I was going to survive my forties (did I mention it's only months away), I had to learn how to eat to fuel my body, not for pleasure.

Of all the books I've picked up over the years on nutrition, this one was exactly what I needed.

So, how was day one? First of all, I felt like I was in the kitchen all day long! It was exhausting. All of the cooking and cleaning. Second of all, by about 4:00 P.M. the sugar cravings hit hard. By 8:00 P.M. the no caffeine headache overwhelmed me. To be honest, I was surprised it took so long. I'm usually a Spark-first-thing-in-the-morning type of person, as well as Dr. Peppers throughout the day. Thirdly, this clean eating stuff is beneficial for everyone, so my kids and husband had to suffer. Austin and Michael took it in stride, but Addison resisted. It's important to note that I'm not restricting my kids as much as I am myself. They can still eat dairy and bread, both big no-nos for me at the moment. They've also had plenty of snacks, trust me.

Two major issues entailed throughout the day.  First, it's a lot of food, broken up into 6 meals (3 traditional meals, 3 snacks.) I don't eat that much food in one day, which is why my metabolism is all out of whack. Second, I never felt full. The book insisted I would feel full. Christmas, you lied.

It's ironic, actually, that I struggled to finish each meal, yet I never felt full. My energy is down, as well. Carbs are out, except for the carbs found in fruit. This part of the "diet" is 21 days, and then we move into more starchy carbs. (A baked potato sounds so good right now, with a lot of cheese!) Considering my love for bread and cheese (sugar and salt), that has been pretty tough, too.

I keep reminding myself this isn't forever. Realistically, this lifestyle eating will not be an all-in for my entire life. But, if I can do it for 21 days, maybe I can limit my cravings for bad food.

In the meantime, a word of encouragement would be great. I know I'm not obese, so I'm not looking for "You look great! You don't need to diet." (The book refers to people like me as "Skinny Fat". What a paradox!) This is about being healthy from the inside out. As a person who has created very bad habits throughout her life, this may be my toughest challenge ever.

So, why is this crazy? It's a lot of work. I have a little more time on my hands right now, but when volleyball starts in less than a month, it will be much harder to maintain. If I can create healthy habits now, maybe they will continue without much effort. Maybe not. There's only one way to find out.

Peace & Love,

Kelly

P.S. Who can name the movie quote that is my title?

UPDATE: Well, that lasted a day and a half. Don't give up on me, yet! Baby steps.