I give myself a lot of credit for how far I have come! I definitely made some major discoveries and accomplished a great deal during the 10+ years of educating myself on food, exercise, and pain. However, I am realizing that it is time to Step it Up! Raise the bar. I realize that I have had one foot in, and one foot out for too long. Example: I’ve been juicing every day for 3 months, but recently I started eating so poorly after work! And allowing myself to make dumb food decisions on a regular basis. Plus too much sugar! It has spiraled out of control. Time for a change.

I have seen a pattern of behavior like this throughout my entire life. In other aspects of my life as well! I have a commitment problem. With diets, exercise, relationships… And I LOVE TO EAT. Food is so important to me and giving up the foods I love most has been a major struggle over the years. (It took nearly 10 years just to fully quit dairy!)

The past year has been full of more experiments when it comes to diet, supplements, exercise and tackling the fibromyalgia pain.  Last year, I quit all prescription medications after mild pain relief with too many negative side effects. (I was basically a zombie at work.) My mental recall was becoming scary bad on Gabapentin. And after working with diet and yoga, I decided I no longer needed Plaquenil.

Since July, I have fully committed to a Plexus supplement routine that has worked wonders on restoring my gut and fighting off daily fatigue. And I’m committed to juicing, which has sped up my metabolism, given me more energy and helped me focus better at work. But alas, I’m still in pain. And the only thing I know for sure after all these years is that there are so many foods in this world that are not my friend. And unfortunately, it is so hard to eat “clean” every day. In a perfect world, I’d live on an island where the soil had never been touched by chemicals and I could grow all of my own food… because, in reality, my body hates chemicals. It hates dairy. It hates anything processed, fried, sugared. It’s so lame. 😭

I know it’s true. I feel it. My body aches less when I go without the bad stuff. I must fully commit to my health. Now I must prepare for January 2019. Goal: I want to be an example of health, radiating positive energy and joy! This is a lofty goal, but with discipline, hopefully attainable.

I have been eating far too much sugar this winter. After months with my cravings under control, they spiraled the minute the weather changed and my body began to plan for hibernation! I began to crave carbs and sugar on a daily basis. (Note: I said the exact same thing last year! Winter is not my friend!)

The first step is admitting you have a problem. Okay, I have a problem. Now I must be disciplined. Enter The Whole30 program. I tried this last year and failed halfway through. But now I have the foundation for this challenging diet. I know what it takes. I’ll be gathering more recipes and planning further ahead to make sure I don’t get stuck at 4:00 on a Tuesday digging around my car for something to eat and crying because I can’t just eat a delicious CLIF BAR to satisfy my hunger! 😵

Anyone who says The Whole30 is easy has lost their mind! Just sayin’.

Goal #2: Find some kind of middle ground and maintain discipline after succeeding at the Whole30!