Confessions of a Food Addict

I'm about to get real, ya'll. I know I mostly talk about my oily lifestyle and why I love holistic living...but today I'm going to open up to you and admit something that I've struggled with my entire life. Food.

I know some of you are reading this, and you can relate. My struggle with food has been an ongoing battle. I eat for comfort. I eat when I'm stressed. I eat when I'm bored. I eat. A lot. So, you can imagine how ironic it is to have a business that revolves around health and wellness and be over weight. It sucks. It's like the big neon sign in the room that says "I have a problem". While I do buy organic foods and eat mostly clean...I over eat. Eating healthy isn't really eating healthy if you're a total glutton like me and can't stop. And sometimes that "organic" label can play tricks with your head. Organic macaroni and cheese may be free from dyes and chemicals, but if you eat the entire batch all by yourself, you're still going to gain weight. That's my problem. I thought going organic would fix everything. It didn't. Because I was the problem. So, what's the solution? Weight Watchers? Atkins? South Beach?

No.

The solution is not found in a "diet". The solution is found in a lifestyle change. A big one. Trust me, I've tried every diet under the sun and they only work as long as you allow them to. When you lose your weight and go back to "normal" eating, the weight comes back. Losing the weight is the starting line, not the destination. Maybe if we all viewed it that way, things would be different.

So, here I am at my highest weight. It's a miserable feeling. It's like my deep dark dirty secret...only it's not so secret, because I wear it every day for the world to see. Why am I writing this? I'm writing this as my declaration that I am DONE with this battle. Sometimes we make life too hard on ourselves. Sometimes we keep struggling with our issues instead of just dismissing them and standing up to them. I am SO guilty of this in multiple areas of my life. Your weight loss battle can end today. It ends when you decide it's over. It's not easy, in fact for me, it's the hardest thing I have ever done. But I've learned that on days when I am weak, God is strong. He will be the one to carry me through my struggle, not me.

Ok, enough of the depressing stuff. Let's get to the positive part...

I'm feeling great this week. I decided my lifestyle needs a change and I'm going for it. I started writing a food journal. Now, this is not where I record everything I eat and keep track of it. I actually plan my entire menu before going to the store. I write down the entire week's worth of meals and snacks. Each day is already planned out before I even start my day. I refer to my meal plan, and I stick to it. Is it easy? It's easier than I thought, but there are some days when a serving size just isn't enough and I want more. That's the hard part for me. I was a binge eater. It was an addiction. So, denying an addiction is a very hard thing. But it's possible. :)

I also drink Grapefruit essential oil in my water daily. I am currently doing a challenge with my Young Living team to drink a gallon of water a day for 6 weeks. This has helped a ton. Drinking water not only hydrates me, but it fills me up. I don't feel as hungry. The Grapefruit oil has helped cleanse and detox my body. I've also noticed my nails are growing faster than they used to, and I have more energy. 

If food has been a struggle for you, I hope you have found encouragement in this post. My next step in my lifestyle change will be finding a work out plan, but for now I'm just trying to tackle my issues with food. Baby steps. ;) Just know, wherever you are in your struggle, you're not alone. In my next post I'll be giving an example of my meal plan, so stay tuned. ;)