I just finished a 10 day ‘jump start’ program that included weaning out refined carbs, sugar, caffeine, wine and dairy. Why would I deprive myself of my beloved morning java and my hug in a glass (wine) at night? Despite exercising, I started feeling really crummy, bloated and had super low energy and since it was going on for a while I realized something had to change.
The best part about this ‘jump start’ was gaining an awareness of my eating pitfalls.
Most surprising was the realization I do eat well, most of the time. That said, while I’m eating healthy food, I needed a serious crash course in portion control. It was easy for me to linger at the dinner table with my husband, sipping wine and noshing on more pasta after my first plate was finshed.
I also realize that while my love for wine and coffee are huge, my habit/ritual of drinking my lovelies was an issue. I truly missed my coffee, less because of the caffeine, but more about sitting with my cuppa and perusing Huff Post and ChicagoNow every the morning.
Lastly, I became aware that dairy and I cannot be BFFs anymore. Cream in my coffee? Only as a treat. Cheese? My beloved parmesan? I need to stop consuming parm and mozzarella as sadly, they make me feel sluggish.
I must say I feel much better, my energy is high and I think I lost some weight! I forgot to weigh myself at the beginning of this process which is really annoying because even though I say I don’t care about the number, it’s nice to have a good gauge as to where I’m at on the scale.
While I feel great and I know I am putting healthy, more nutritious and delicious food in my body, I really wish with all my heart I could eat burgers and fries and Doritos and cupcakes and CHEESE. All the time. Every day. Forever. And feel and look FABULOUS!! Wouldn’t that be the shit? Eat and eat and have second portions and drink my wine every day with no repercussions? Oh, this is why I miss being 25.
I LOVE overindulging. I love opening a bottle of wine at night and not thinking about how many glasses I ‘can’ have. I love mindlessly grazing through the chips and guac with a margarita at my favorite Mexican restaurant. But, BUT BUT. I like feeling better more than I love to indulge. And I do like kale and hummus and quinoa – although I may prefer Cape Cod potato chips.
I’m pretty reasonable and know that because I LOVE food and love to eat and drink and linger with friends at a grand old table (I am ITALIAN!) I will indulge in my coffee and wine and cheese and carbs – on occasion. However, I do feel better because of what I have cut out of my diet and at this stage of my life, I choose to feel better. I choose to have more energy, feel light on my feet and feel stronger in general.
Therefore, I will embrace the Kale and put the burgers on the back burner. For now….
How about you? Have you done a cleanse or weaned yourself off of food you know is bad for you? Leave a comment below – I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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