Week 6 – The H Word…..Health!!!
Wowsers. How remarkable that for 20 years I haven’t been able to take care of my body or give it the priority it deserves and now with one decision one morning, I am becoming my old self – or a new woman. The feelings of pride, success, relief and excitement are taking over and I am just so thrilled for my future.
To think everyone who has met me over that time has never seen me slim is mind boggling. People perceive you differently when you carry extra weight. You don’t have as much credibility and have to work so much harder to be on a level playing field. It’s unfair but it’s life.
The thing is, as I’ve said before, you don’t even know how big you are. I was 38 kilos overweight and didn’t even ‘get it’. You don’t look at photos of yourself, if you do have to be in a pic you crop the life out of it, you live in denial.
The most ridiculous thing is that the food I’m eating I LOVE. I really really love the colours, the tastes, the wholesomeness, the way it makes me feel. I haven’t missed the wine but if I did I’d have one – I am not in prison. I can eat or drink whatever I like, I am just choosing healthier options.
The difficulty this week is that I have a very nasty flu. I’m still exhausted a week later as is the rest of the family – except the one who gave it to us all! I was still hungry for good strong flavours early in the week but the latter part my taste buds are very sensitive and I can’t handle much or I feel sick. Lots of water and tea are constants. Plus thank goodness for oats and banana which are the core start to each day. Get the good brand though – there is no comparison. Veges, soup, fruit, brown rice and falafels have given me my vitamins and fruit smoothies with frozen banana, blueberries, strawberries, kiwifruit topped with chia, linseed and coconut are really satisfying.
It’s just a matter of replacing bad habits with good habits – even if it’s just one at a time. As I keep saying, my stable ‘go to’ after 5pm was wine and cheese. I always made loads of good wholesome food for my family and I would have some but not till I had my wines then I would eat too much and really not enjoy it.
Getting rid of bread and butter – well that is just amazing. That was my favourite food in the world – fresh white bread, fresh raisin bread, fresh fruit bun, fresh scones, fresh bakery items full stop. It was my ‘treat’ food. If I’m sick, toast, butter, vegemite. If I’m happy fresh white bread with fresh butter and fresh ham. If I’m stressed lots of toast with lashings of butter. If I’m sad, toast with peanut butter, plus butter or maybe pancakes with same. This is the pattern and although I probably always loved bread as our family as a whole did, it was not something I used to buy pre kids – I probably ate some when I was with people, but because this type of food has always been in abundance since then with the boys, I naturally eat it as its easy.
Another remarkable thing is – my eldest loves brown rice. I have never bought it but we both love it. He is very tall and very slim and it turns out he loves my health kick and the changes in the house. My youngest is also very tall but very broad and eats a lot more protein than the rest of us more meat, eggs, milk, but still embraces the increase in fruit, veges and smoothie options as does my partner.
I have noticed my stress levels are reducing when I have to go out – I’m just not as self conscious any more and I can just enjoy the event. Before I would cringe at myself going to my thousands of sporting events for my children when I was so obviously not a good role model. And trust me – people DO judge – I promise you.
Pre 20’s, I was a competitive sports woman and know what it’s like to be fit. I did hold a lot of sporting medals thanks to my parents encouragement and support. So re-entering the sporting arena as a parent, overweight has been HUGELY cringeworthy and I always wished I could look fit so the boys would be proud.
So many positives and I have only gone such a short distance! It is disappointing that I’m sick because I would LOVE to get out and embrace these changes but it will come and I have the WHOLE glorious summer to enjoy it.
No more dreaded Monday’s starting ‘diets’. No more self loathing, no more mentally justifying everything I eat – now I am nourishing my body with what it needs and loving the process. Feel free to ask anything in the comments. I am just about to weigh in and as always I always write this on Sunday night so I can talk about the whole of me – and as an afterthought I will see how I’ve gone with the weigh in. It’s important to me to analyse my body and my week to see how different I am from the week before.
It will be wonderful in a few months to go back to that first week – to remember how I felt. I just weighed in and another kilo gone which means I will have lost 10 kilos by next weigh in – woohoo. Well, till next week, if you are on the journey with me, I would love to hear how you are going too!
A great base Acai Bowl Recipe from 8thandlake on Instagram.
