Gross... Why Do I Feel Gross?

When eating junk becomes so bad your body feels like lead. Literally. Everyone knows the moment: "What do you want for dinner?"

It got to a point where I didn't want the foods I knew I loved. If I ate another cheeseburger and fries, it would be too soon. The cereal, the fast food lunches, the hamburger helper and mac and cheese for dinner. Poptarts, milk, cookies, crackers. It wasn't the number on the scale that made me change what I eat, though it is definitely part of it. It was that my body began rejecting everything I was giving it, and I was at a loss. I've tried diets, and was never able to stick to them because I didn't like the meals. Yet, I knew I needed to eat healthier. After moving to Wyoming, I came across a naturopathic doctor. Talk about me being skeptical. Every other diet had failed. But it wasn't so much that I was eating junk (okay, I was), but that my body was in a huge deficit of nutrients, and that's why I felt the way I did. I explained to the doctor how previous diets went, and that I wanted to change but didn't have the guidance or know-how.

He helped me. He ran a few tests, and gave me a broad list of things I could and couldn't eat. He explained to me what foods I was eating that was making me feel like trash, and what herbs could remedy it over time. I didn't think I had any food sensitivities, but I did. And boy, did that suck because I love grains. Breads, pastas, flour... rice. While I can still have those things, I can't have them nearly as much because for whatever reason, my body can't process them as well. I've had to try some new things as well. I found out that I like goat and feta cheeses. My body is happier if I eat fruits throughout the day. Now... I'm a very picky eater, and I don't care for fruits. But every morning now, I get up a little earlier so I can make my snacks. Sliced apples, canteloupe, grapes. Then I paired it with nuts I enjoy, except for peanuts. So I eat cashews, almonds, pecans, and walnuts. I'm supposed to eat a salad a day, and I don't always make that, but I do try to eat healthier meals and save my "eating out" to my morning Starbucks coffee. Even then, I could make coffee at home, but it just isn't the same.

My younger sister is a health fanatic and even she's impressed with how well I'm doing. I'm drinking 72-80 oz. of water a day now, instead of 24-48. I use a powder called Ultima Replenisher in my water, which flavors it naturally. The biggest words I take away from my sister's constant "eat clean" schpeal is that diets fail because they are too restrictive. You have to start slow. There isn't a "pill" that does it overnight. I want to cut out processed sugars, and the biggest thing there was sodas and carbonated drinks. Energy drinks, as well. But I didn't quit cold turkey. I dropped to 2 sodas a day, then one, then none. I haven't had a soda in almost a month now. I still drink a ton of flavored water and herbal tea for my chronic back pain. I am only 30-35 lbs. overweight, and that's mostly due to my children. Stepping on the scale is a scary thought. I haven't done it in over a month, so I have no idea where I'm at. But I feel lighter. I feel skinnier, even though I don't look it. It's said that it takes four weeks for you to feel a noticeable difference, eight weeks for it to show to yourself, and twelve weeks for other people to notice. My goal is to get back down to my pre-pregnancy weight, which was 125 lbs. Maybe tomorrow I'll bring the new scale in from the car and set it up. But then, I have to have enough nerve to step on it and see where I'm at. Wish me luck.