My personal goal for September was to lose 7-10 lbs.
I would accomplish this goal by following a specific protocol that I created for myself.
No flour.
No sugar (exception below).
A specific time frame when I would eat each day.
Intermittent fasting.
One planned and scheduled exception, or “joy eat”, each week (my pick....ice cream).
You may be thinking this sounds strict, but I promise you it’s not once you explore and process all of your thoughts around food and eating.
I achieved my personal goal for September. I lost 8lbs.
I’m excited about this, but not just because of the number.
It's so much more than that.
I have taken back the wheel.
Food doesn’t have control.
I don’t have the desire to overeat.
I don't feel the need to binge.
I’m not buffering with food.
I have more energy. I don’t feel sluggish and bloated all the time.
I have more clarity. Ideas for my business, and my life, have been rushing in.
I’m doing this for myself because it feels incredible, but it hasn’t come without a whole lot of coaching on my attachment to food and eating. The best part is that now I can see my old pattern from an entirely new perspective.
September proved to be an emotional month for a number of reasons. I could have easily gone back to old habits. I could have numbed out on food, wine, or Netflix. I didn't. Instead, I gave myself permission to feel. I felt all of the good, all of the bad, all of the ugly, and everything that scared the crap out of me. I let it all in. I sat with it. I let it bubble up. I didn’t try to stuff it down. I didn’t beat myself up. I allowed the urge. I noticed the sensation. I felt the desire, and then I got curious.
I became my own investigator. I started to ask myself questions.
Why did I want to eat? What purpose was it going to serve?
Every single time the craving was a desire to escape whatever was happening in that moment. That is the habit. It’s amazing to see it from the other side.
I took my son out for ice cream the other day.
I didn’t get anything.
I wasn’t restricting myself.
I just realized I didn’t really want it. The same way I no longer want a cigarette.
Fascinating.
I am on my own personal journey as I return to my natural weight.
The difference now is that I am doing this from a place of love, compassion, and curiosity. After years of struggling, and all the ups and downs, I’m finally cracking the code to real weight loss. This is a permanent shift, and it feels delightful. This is freedom.