It's Not a Diet It's My Future

I have black hair and brown eyes, my sister has brown hair and hazel eyes, my coworker has blond hair and blue eyes. We are a mix of tall, short, big, skinny. We are all uniquely different inside and out; so why should we all follow the same advice to lose weight and be healthy? There are tons of articles, diets, and books out there telling us how we must only eat a certain way to achieve maximum weight loss and healthy results and that all the other diets are wrong. I have read so many over them years I could probably write a combined book. It got me so confused at one point I starting thing....if we are all different inside and out why will the same diet and eating habits work for everyone equally?

Be unique and be true to yourself inside and out

A few years ago I did Weight Watchers, I gained weight. My friend Debbie did it and lost a ton of weight and continues to lose weight and love the program. We did it exactly the same. So why did she drop weight and I gained and felt sluggish? Because we are different. Our bodies are hardwired (that is my scientific term) different. Over the years my mom and I have realized that carbs and sugar are our kryptonite. Eating those can mess up our bodies pretty quick and the recovery time is very very slow. I am talking sugar coma for days just from a small intake, stomach that gets bloated and puffy and overall feeling of yuck. We stick to a low carbohydrate, low sugar, healthy fat eating routine, similar to primal eating/paleo/Atkins. I also now read labels and get pretty grossed out seeing what is in some processed foods. Now on the other hand, my dad and sister can eat pretty much whatever they desire, no problem, and as long as they watch their calories they lose weight and feel good. They are slowly learning about reading labels as well.

No cookies for me...
I am going to leave the cookies to Cookie Monster

So what is my point? My point is we are all uniquely designed inside and out. I don't recommend cutting out all food groups, but I do recommend being in touch with your body. Take notice how you feel after eating certain foods. It's a trial and error sort of thing and of course balance. Too much of anything, no matter how healthy or wonderful is not always a good thing. Be patient with yourself and be willing to learn. Maybe your body just needs a limitation in calories, but maybe you need more than that, maybe less sugar or carbs or dairy. Being open to finding out what my body needs and wants has showed me a whole new world. I still have ups and downs, and thanks to being a girl I get those crazy hormone cravings, but I have learned a lot about my body and when those moments creep up on me I feel like I handle them a little better each time. The conclusion I came to is that taking the time to learn about my body, explore foods, read research and invest in myself is more important than just a diet and weight loss, this is about my health and my future.

I hope I can teach my nieces all that I have learned from my
health journey while they are young.

Time For a Regroup!

It's easy to get caught up in the daily grind of life. Work, errands, cleaning, bills, relationships, being healthy and the list goes on and on. I can often relate to how a hamster feels running in the wheel thing, especially when I am on the treadmill (ha ha). I also find it all to easy to get caught up in worrying about all the things listed above. What's going on at work, what does the future hold. Running errands from one side of the state to the other. Bills...well do I really need to elaborate on those. Cleaning...yeah because that is what I want to do in my free time. Relationships, I love spending time with my family and friends and being part of everything going on, but I also enjoy me time, and what about dating and wondering if I will ever meet my Prince Charming. Being healthy is a job in itself, writing the grocery list, making meals for the week, planning workouts. Well I think you get the hint. This is just my list, everyone's list is different and everyone's struggles are unique and important to them.

Sometimes when I feel myself spinning on that wheel of life I realize that I am missing out on fun things. I don't dance and sing to music as much because I am in my head. I may not take the time to appreciate the flowers that I walk past going to my next store. At the end of the day I know inside I am missing something. Life should include happiness and enjoyment. This is the time I like to remind myself to REGROUP. Take a step back and breathe. Most of the time I will actually say out loud "Cindy you need a regroup". Stop and smell the roses. Whatever term you want to use, remember it and when you feel yourself getting stuck on your wheel of life remind yourself what is important. I know sometimes that is easier said than done, but it really does help, and it really does help you appreciate what you have. I love waking up and  instead of instantly jumping out of bed I will look over and see my cats snuggled up. I love thinking of the smiles on my nieces faces when I see them on the weekend. Having coffee with my mom and sister. Walks with my dad. Meeting up with my best friend Debbie and laughing over anything and everything. Loving the fact that I live close to work and can go home for lunch.

Having fun with my nieces, Ashley and Kaitlyn
I workout so I can keep up with them

The way I see it is the cleaning will always be there, do a little at a time. There will always be bills to pay, try not to add to them. Remember that being healthy benefits you and everyone that loves you and makes you feel great and is definitely worth all the time and effort! Running errands helps you get everything you need to stay on track and hey you never know who you will meet or what adventures you could encounter along the way.Wondering what the future holds, doesn't actually change the outcome, but living your life does so make it a happy one.

My best friend Debbie
Always encouraging me to be healthy, workout, and smile

I truly believe that happiness should always be a priority. And in case you are wondering, on days or weeks when I am on my wheel of life I will go back and read everything I just wrote as a reminder.