sacrifice

Yes, I am going to blog about what I eat (but it will be the next one :)  I first want to talk about sacrifice. Most of you know if you want something bad enough; new iphone, computer, ipad mini (swoon) house, car you get the picture you will do anything for it. But have you thought about sacrifice for feeling better? Looking better? Thinking better? Hmmmm..... those other things are material things and yet we or at least some of us, DO anything to get it. We work extra hours, save and save and save. add an extra job. But when it comes to ourselves and our health, it often goes to the way side and we say it's too hard, or I can't do it, or does that really make a difference? YES it does!
Before I would often skip breakfast or just have a piece of toast and run off to work. By 10 I would be tired, crabby and hungry and want a snack so I would grab a "healthy" granola bar. After eating that I would feel great like I could get through the rest of the morning and I actually felt "happy".  By 12 I was really hungry again and needed food or I was on the verge of crabby and angry again. So from 8-noon my mood went from; normal to crabby to happy to crabby again! That's NOT normal! You should eat to feel sustained and your mood should be Good if not GREAT all day! Now throw in the added stress of work and family and I would turn into a bear :) This pattern proceeded for me all day. By 2 tired and crabby again, home from work exhausted and really crabby I was short with the kids and the last thing I wanted to do was to fix dinner! So I would make something easy..... and processed. I don't know if you experience the same things or if you even realize what your mood is at different times of the day but I encourage you to do a little self check. How do you feel after breakfast? mid morning? after lunch? mid afternoon? after dinner? and then before bed? Write it down, then do a food check for the day. Write it down and the next blog I will talk about processed foods.
When I started to realize this pattern (with the help of Jay Altman) the first thing I found out is my blood sugars were spiking and dropping all day. (No I did not have diabetes but I was pre diabetes.) Everyone has blood sugars and blood sugars directly react to food that is their job. Some people notice it more than others. You usually notice it by your mood how you feel or by gaining weight. For those of you wanting to loose weight.... keep your blood sugars between 80-100 after you eat, and you WILL drop weight. Well how do you do that? I actually went to Walgreen's and bought a glucometer, it was a kit for $34.00 and I would check it after each meal. I did this for about 2 weeks to see how my body reacted to things like fruit, oatmeal, juice, basically anything I ate. If you do this and be honest with yourself you will start to see a correlation between food and how you FEEL mentally and what  your energy level is like.  So why did I label this Sacrifice? Because doing these things initially WILL take sacrifice. I have had many people say "aww live a little, have that piece of cake or pie or sweet" what I use to think is yeh, I deserve that, but now I think "yeh I WANT to live not just a little, but A LOT!" and I want to feel good and I want to grow old and feel good without health problems, or be in a nursing home taking 25 pills to stay alive." Eating clean..... the way our bodies were intended and exercising will come from sacrifice. You will have to sacrifice your time, initially LOTS of time will go into food planning, shopping, preparing. But that will get better, I promise because it will become natural. Next your pocket book, eating clean, quality food will initially hit you as will at least SEEM like it does. But if you add it up in the end you are NOT paying more. Again it's going to take time to learn your system and make the right choices.
You may have to make choices or sacrifices to pick those healthy foods. Like shopping around the outside of the store only, my problem is still that darn chip isle! Calls me every time! For those of you that want to start exercising at a gym or with a trainer it will take sacrifice. Again of your time and money. You may have to drop that cable bill or that cell phone bill to make it work. But I will tell you.... So well worth the sacrifice! A quote from my trainer that I hate but have learned to love... "If you want it bad enough, you will make it happen!" Heres to another day of becoming mended!