The Power of Making Decisions

Making a decision.

It's the most powerful ability we have.

And it's amazing how once you really, truly decide to do one thing, other decisions seem possible.  Giving up sugar and breads was something I never thought I could do.  Now that I'm nearing the end of my second month, I've begun to ask myself what else I've been fretting about but have not actually, truly decided about.

The answer is: The things I fear

Because what if I'm wrong?

What if I can't?

What if it's all for nothing?

The truth is: 

I've made a decision physically.

This has led to making different decisions, financially

And now, emotionally as well. 

Make a decision.

Decide to be or do whatever it is you think you can't be or do. 

Decide to believe that everything is possible.

Good things are coming.

They are coming for you.

And they'll get there when you decide to open the door and let them in.

Stop Emotional Eating

One of the hardest things in life is avoiding the pitfalls of emotional eating. It's just how many of us cope, how we manage, the fun thing we can do for ourselves. Giving up sugar and giving up breads means just dealing with it. It's been my number one reason for failing. Whenever something goes wrong in my relationship, I've had a hard day at work, the weekend comes, there's a party and I just want to have fun, eating is my power.

It still is.

I just eat differently.

I reach for my yummy fruit/cottage cheese/yogurt salad

And I eat a lot.

But in the morning, no guilt, no set backs

No self loathing

Be committed. You don't eat sugar. Period. You don't eat breads. Period. You love yourself too much to slow down all the progress you have made. You love that "thinner" feeling in the morning when you've awakened and you just know you've lost weight. You love not feeling sick after eating, being free to eat exactly how much and what you want. And no matter WHAT it is that's bothering you or egging you on,

This too shall pass

And when it does, you will still be unstoppable, you will have weathered the storm, you will be stronger and unhindered knowing you haven't fallen into the pit again.

This time, you have triumphed!!

Go for a walk, go for a drive, take a nap, talk to a friend, go shopping!! Plan a trip!

"The Secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one" -- Mark Twain

The Brazilian Butt Lift

Ok. So, they say that diet is 70% and exercise is 30%. I figure I'm doing as much as I'm ever going to do on the diet and up to this point, I've been a little lax on that other 30%. For the last month I've been walking a little over a mile and a half nearly 4 times a week. These are not killer walks. I love being outside, being unreachable to anyone, to see the sky, feel the breeze, the spring flowers and that sparkling coolness of spring. I do it for me. My thoughts. My reflections.

But now it's April. Bikini season is 2 months away.

Enter, the Brazilian Butt Lift.

The claim is that in 90 days, you'll have a butt like a Brazilian model. My butt looks nothing like a Brazilian model's. I don't anticipate that it will look like a Brazilian's model's but any change in that direction is welcomed and needed. I realized I wouldn't be able to do such a work out the 6 days a week as prescribed, but I figured, 3 times a week is better than nothing.

I lasted 10 minutes.

10.

Now my goal is three times a week, starting with ten minutes and then walking and working up to an entire work out and jogging after. However, the way I feel right now, there's probably a better chance of me becoming a Brazilian model than accomplishing either of those 30% tasks. Aye!

Easter...

So today was the day to celebrate the Lord's resurrection and Easter means new birth, new beginnings. We celebrate Christ rising from the grave because it is a matchless example of

that

For the first time in 36 years, Easter candy did not cross my mind. Others had the goodies at dinner but my menu remained the same:

Breakfast: Whole oatmeal, strawberries, half and half and crystal light as a sweetner

Lunch: Taco Soup

Dinner: Ham, a baked potato, fruit salad and veggie salad.

CHANGE IS POSSIBLE!!

HAPPY EASTER!

And today...

14 lbs down in 1 month and 2 weeks!!

Why fruit?

#1.) It's yummy and fantastic and a promise that you're doing something fun for you! But also,

Blueberries are packed with vitamin C.

In just one serving, you can get 14 mg of Vitamin C – almost 25 percent of your daily requirement. Vitamin C aids the formation of collagen and helps maintain healthy gums and capillaries. It also promotes iron absorption and a healthy immune system^1,2.

Blueberries are dynamos of dietary fiber.

Research has shown that most of us don’t get enough fiber in our diets. Eating foods high in fiber will help keep you regular, your heart healthy and your cholesterol in check. A handful of blueberries can help you meet your daily fiber requirement^1,2. What a tasty way to eliminate this worry from your day!

Blueberries are an excellent source of manganese.

Manganese plays an important role in bone development and in converting the proteins, carbohydrates and fats in food into to energy – a perfect job for blueberries³.

Blueberries are leaders in antioxidant activity.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), blueberries are near the top when it comes to antioxidant activity per serving (ORAC values). Their capacity is impressive. Antioxidants work to neutralize free radicals — unstable molecules linked to the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease and other age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s.

Remember, It's Only....

Get ready... There will be withdrawal headaches... And You'll wonder why no one has noticed all of your amazing progress but the truth is...

You are on the journey of a whole new you!!

The First Few Weeks Sugar Free can feel like nothing is happening but the truth is...

You can absolutely...

"It seems necessary to completely shed the old skin before the new, brighter, stronger, more beautiful one can emerge..."

--- Julie Ridge

The Sugar Blues by William Dufty

The Sugar Blues by William Dufty was published in 1975. It's a bit overdramatic, a bit over the top and completely frightening. I read the first chapter one night after an Oscar Party thrown at my house. I couldn't sleep, my hands were shaking becauseof the sugar. I was sure one chapter of this book would put me right to sleep.

How wrong I was.

Dufty outlines his own battle with sugar in the first chapter, his biography as an addict. He talks about his skin and health issues, his mood swings, his depression and his chance meeting with silent screen legend Gloria Swanson. It was Ms. Swanson who first advised against the sugar. He'd never considered it before.

Next, came his own drastic live and let die moment of throwing away all sugar in his

house. But more importantly, the results he got. The headaches from the withdrawls but also the end of acne, illness and his own drastic before and after photo. Within five months he lost an incredible 75 lbs just having his body regulate itself.

Everything he said resonated with me. The skin issues, the illness, the self-loathing, the lack of motivation and a new and entirely life-changing concept occurred to me.

What if it was the sugar??

What if I could be free from the poison too??

What would my results be if I gave it up completely??