Day 1 of 30 The Rules

Tomorrow I will embark a new challenge.  The rules are simple, the reason is more personal.  As a Nutrition Coach I talk about food all day long.  I'm constantly reminded of do's, dont's, sweets, breads, pastas.  I hear the words I can't, I won't, I'll do this, but not that.  I want to prove a point.  Not only with nutrition, but with the mind.  We all have challenges.  Me included.  We are all human.  We also all have the ability to change and it starts 1st with the mind.  Its more than will power, there are techniques to practice along the way.  Much to do with cognitive behavioral changes.  In my 30 Day Challenge, I'll be embarking on a very "non-traditional" diet while:

• Discussing food all day with clients, researching diets ---always having FOOD on the brain.
• Being around 2 kids (my own) whom are boys and want food constantly
• Attending regular events and being social (mind you I just had my son's 7th birthday party...shwewh...got that one out of the way! )

All the normal stuff in everyday life we ALL face.   During my journey, I'll be sharing with you my challenges, how I overcome them and strategies I will use - with the ALMIGHTY MIND!

YES!  I'm scared.  I could completely fail.  But....isn't everything worth trying?  It's believing from the beginning its possible.  I've always said:  "Try something hard and find out how capable you really are".  Well, this is me...trying something really hard.  I've never done a diet quite this way and this one will go for an entire 30 days.  Personally, I think it will be VERY hard.  But, I do know I CAN DO IT!  You see, I'm like everyone else.  When focused too hard on a diet...we tend to binge.  This is why I'm taking on a whole new strategy.  I want to prove a point...:

• That trying to change our eating patterns does not have to end in binges.  We can end the obsession with food.
• We can reprogram our behaviors
• We can beat the obesity rate by simply changing our lifestyle - reducing the want for certain foods and enjoying the right foods without guilt and simply be satisfied, content and feel ALIVE, focused and energized just as nature intended.  

Do you remember being a kid?  Or, simply watch young ones today.  Watch their eating patterns.  It's totally instinctive, there is no emotional attachment to it at all.  If they are hungry, they eat.  When they've had enough, they stop.  Then they go run around until the cycle starts again.  They don't even think about food aside from those immediate needs.  As they grow older and become more aware of their bodies, they begin to take notice of fat, how it looks...the obsession begins.  Fad diets emerge, the yo-yo cycle begins = metabolism gets slowly destroyed...over and over until hormones are completely out of whack, urges for food gets stronger (we do want what we can't have)...the cycle continues. We destroy our bodies.

For the next 30 Days I will be avoiding all forms of man-made SUGAR.  Sugar is our biggest enemy.  Its where the addiction begins, obesity rises, diseases build.  I'm not talking about sugar naturally derived from plants (some).  I'm talking mostly about the ones in breads, pasta, grains, table sugar even artificial sugars.  I'm talking anything processed. I'm even letting go of my favorite low sugar ketchup and sugar free syrup. I'll be eating very clean.  My diet will consist of:

• Meat, eggs, fish, foul 
• Fibrous veggies
• certain fruits in small quantities (sanity)
• small portion of nuts/seeds/oils and nut butters 
• *trying organic, grass fed most of the time.
• 80-90% dark chocolate - natural cocoa bean, very low sugar in small portion (sanity)
• Coffee/tea/water. 
• No limits on meat and veggies - eat when hungry - stop when satisfied- no schedule - no calorie counting - no macro-nutrient counting. Most of my energy source will be derived from fat. Mostly animal fat. Be advised, however I am eating carbs - just ones that are natural and nutritious.   I will be eating as nature intended. Let's see what happens!

Scared, yet excited...Let the journey begin!