Years ago when I was asked to start this Food $ense journey and share it all with you. I had so many emotions. I was scared and excited and I was incredibly motivated to change my life.
In the first three months, I attempted to give up any grain that wasn't whole, sugar entirely, and in a whole separate universe of giving stuff up, I was going to give up my Coke. - all in three months.
I was obviously going to sprint my way to good heath, and hopefully get it done in under... oh say, 6 months at the max, at least for sure before Christmas and the holidays rolled around.
It was a new world, I had all the tools, I had all the support, I even really really wanted to succeed.
..... and then.... life just got so normal.
And while I had made great changes, and I was moving forward in my journey. I began to compare myself to every food blogger, every nutrition expert, every before and after photo. And there wasn't a single time that I didn't come up short.
It suddenly didn't matter that I had switched to a fresh bread made by my local bakery. I was still eating bread. It didn't matter that I was having more meals with my family. I wasn't having ALL meals with my family and some members were still pretty grumpy about it. I felt better, but I certainly didn't look any better. Where were my victories that I could post on Facebook about.
How were people supposed to know all the changes that I was trying to make if I didn't look completely different?
I started to feel so self-conscious in my own skin. I analyzed every part of my life and worried constantly that it wasn't going to be enough. That I wasn't going to be enough for you. That my story and my hope to inspire you and take this journey with you would be invalid because I wasn't perfect.
It sounds silly to type that and say, I want to be your friend and help you through this really hard journey, but since I haven't gotten it perfect 100% of the time, I can't be your friend doing it.
Something deep inside us makes us not want to struggle, to have it be hard, to have to earn it.
And I personally have such a hard time with there not being a Perfect 10 diet. For every person and every different body and different daily situation there are different needs - how can I know that I am doing well at this, if I don't realize where gold medal / world record is.
And here is the answer -- To Honor the progress. Honor All forms of Progress.
I'm just gonna let that sink in for a bit.
If you feel like you aren't measuring up on the scale, or with the weights or the times on the treadmill, look for other victories. Emotional, Mental, Behavioral and not just physical. Step a few steps back, maybe quite a few, so you can see the whole big picture - the great big wide - across a lifetime picture. I bet you're doing better now than you were. If for no other reason.. that because you are HERE and you WANT to do better.
Don't just acknowledge that progress, I want you to honor it.
And if you see me at the drive-thru, you can be sure I'll smile and wave and not give up on myself or my goals or my family. This healthy lifestyle is a long journey and the most important part is that we don't give up and perhaps even enjoy this process that is making us so much more than we could have been. Drive-thru's, missed days at the gym, birthday cake for breakfast and All.
