Finally...I get it!

It has taken many years, but I think I am finally starting to grasp the correlation between the food I eat and the way I feel. For the past 25 years of yo-yo dieting, I have heard it said over and over. What you put in your mouth will have a direct impact on how you will feel.  Let's just say that I heard it but I wasn't listening. Prior to losing weight I would eat so much crap. I would blame my sluggishness and lack of motivation on everything else. It couldn't have anything to do with the food! About halfway to the day I would always hit a wall. Hard. Like I would want to use toothpicks to keep my eyes open for the rest of the day. Those were also the days I would go home after work and take a nap. Obviously that would leave no time for working out even if I did want to (and trust me, working out was the farthest thing from my mind back them. It was more like…what time should I be at the bar?)

For the past six months I have been trying to maintain an awareness of how my body feels in relation to what I eat. This started when I decided to do the 10 day Advocare cleanse last summer. It was the first cleanse I had come across where I wouldn't have to start myself or just drink juice all day. If you know me at all, you know I love food and wouldn't give up eating for anything. About halfway through the cleanse I started to feel good. Like really good! As each day went on I felt better and better and experienced more energy than I had in a long time. During the cleanse I ate, and I ate a lot. Probably more than usual, but it was clean eating. I could not have wheat, dairy, sugar, alcohol or coffee. Coffee was definitely the hardest for me but it was only a few days and I didn't miss it anymore. Ok, that’s a lie. Starbucks called my name every time I drove by. And living in LA, there’s pretty much a Starbucks on every other corner!  Don't get me wrong, I am back to my everyday coffee!

Getting ready for the 10 day cleanse was a little work. I had to sit and meal plan and prep for the 10 days. The couple of hours it took was definitely worth it. I didn't even have to think for the rest of the week. I did lose 5 pounds on the cleanse which was awesome! Most importantly, I learned the value of feeding my body with nourishing food. And more importantly than that, it clicked. Finally! No I'm not saying that I am eating clean or being perfect every day but when I'm not I know exactly what to blame it on when I hit my wall. And now...I've ordered the 24 day Advocare cleanse. I'm a bit nervous, but also really excited because even though I know that it will be hard, I think the way I feel will outweigh the struggles to get through each and every decision.