4 steps to NO MORE FOOD/SWEET Cravings (Step 3)

The pictures/quotes are women driven but this blog is for males as well. I come to find this is one of the most important but a difficult step within the 4 because it supports emotional health. If you've missed out on Step 1 and/or Step 2 make sure and click on those links as they are highlighted.

Step 3 is Support.

We have these little voices that say ohhh one piece will be ok, and I won't have anymore. Yeah right...it never works like that. You know, 1 Pringles chip is impossible or even the serving size of 16 chips were impossible for me. Once you give into the temptation of the first piece, first anything there is an army of excuses for the 2nd and 3rd until it's uncontrollable again. It's a lie. We must have supports in place prior to the event. This support holds us accountable and hopefully one has such in place that will lay the truth out in love; and one is able to receive it when emotionally one may be in denial. Trust the supports.

I was once in several accountability groups and we tried and tested each other. The most beneficial thing I learned from such a group was that you must have multiple layers of steps away from caving. Let me explain this detail. This goes for anything in life that is addicting, toxic, or just something you choose to stay away from. For instance, you have an unhealthy relationship with someone you know you shouldn't, it's not enough just to say you're not going to talk to that person again. If one is emotionally attached, there's a grieving process as one will have felt as though they died. This is a normal process in clearing one's circle of unhealthy relationships. One must have several barriers up to help protect yourself from caving into just calling them up. So first, make a commitment to yourself. Some people have great will power and compete within themselves; this is great, but it's not bullet proof. Next, make a plan of barriers to run into before actually calling, then get some accountability partners to call upon in need. Three or more team members are the best because there will be times those people will not be immediately available when you need them.

Here's example building the plan & barriers to such success. Every time I use this strategy, it works.

1. Commitment to self (make reminders on mirrors, in the car, on your phone, on your fridge even)

2. Ideally get a 3+ accountability/support team with daily interaction even if it's just a smiley face that you have met the goal for the day. I've got a support group for different topics that still happen on a daily basis everyday. These people help keep me on track, love me unconditionally, and are not quiet when I've stepped off track.

3. Find your weaknesses and REMOVE all items from home, car, phone that may tempt. Food, pictures, Facebook; other social media, delete music that reminds, block people, delete contacts from phone, if needed take a social media "fast", break, or vacation especially if the temptation to look them up is your weakness. Drive a different way if you know you'll see them or that restaurant, turn off the TV commercials, etc.

This is exactly what an accountability partner would say.

4. Pray, meditation, yoga, exercise, listen to music, find a therapist whatever it is that helps you connect with self and the best journey forward.

I understand this struggle in a very real way...probably more than you can imagine. Without details, of course, here's the exact subjects that I have had to build and use this plan with; Marriage, emotionally unhealthy relationships, addictions, finances, and well food. I didn't place food in the addictions category because some don't view their struggles as an addiction; so didn't want to leave that as a possibility of denial. I hope this makes sense. This is not easy, it takes full thought into planning the fences, barriers, support, etc.

I'm seriously here to help in anyway I can. If you want more understanding, help in this area, or lacking supports regardless of the topic in which you want to discontinue; I can do that...contact me. There's no charge here for support. Life is a struggle and it's real. This is my passion in life is to help others become the best that they can be. I know sharing your vulnerability and struggles can be embarrassing and hard to admit; I know, I get that, but no judgments here. I've done and seen it all in this journey. Guess what, I fail, fall, and thankfully can say I get back up. It's ok to be human. It's ok to have a bad day that's why we place the barriers so you can trip several times and still not hit rock bottom. These supports give you a ledges
to fall upon without falling into the pit.

It's my hope you find Hope & Support in this blog to push you through to a healthy you!

Blessings
`Yvonne

4 steps to NO MORE FOOD/SWEET Cravings (Step 1)

Yes, I don't have any food cravings and my desires for portions have uhm...let's just say, I have to make myself eat more than once a day. That's seriously about all the hunger that I have. How is that, you might ask?

Before I share with you what I actually did to get to this point, let me first say this. I have been down quite the road with weight issues most of my life. As a tween, 12 years old, I got sick one summer, really really sick and lost a bunch of weight for me at the time. I was down to a size 12 from probably a 16...and I'll never forget how my grandpa told me how much better I looked. Well, that stuck with me...12 must be the perfect size, I thought. Now there's some of you that want under that...that's ok, that's your choice because it's not about size to me anymore; I just want complete health. Like I've said on my Facebook posts, I don't own a scale. 

I wasn't looking for this journey when I found it! `Yvonne

Anyway, I've learned such things stick in our conscience when things like that are said especially to a naive young child. I'm not blaming him by any means. So I struggled with self worth, depression, shame, guilt, and on and on. Jumping into 2010, I decided to go have weight loss surgery (gastric sleeve bariatric surgery). That went well, I lost a little over 100 lb. down from 306 lbs and then my world got rocked. That rocking was very personal and there's no benefit for me to share that in this post. I can't ever say I found comfort in eating, I don't remember ever feeling good while eating...actually I always felt worse but never stopped. This body has consumed a lot of food in 42 plus years and in January I was almost back up to the before surgery weight of 286 lb.

January 24th, 2016 was the marking day of the click that went off in my head. I had received some information on yeah, I know boring insulin resistance and blood sugar. This was given to me in a way I've never heard before or was it...that "I had made up my mind" for real to do something different. My quote has always been "Be the change you wish to see in the world" -Mahatma Gandhi  

I don't believe I was just all of sudden interested in insulin/sugar because I wasn't even there to get such information. I didn't even know at the time I was going to hear such a lecture. A God appointment some will say and I won't argue that. I will say I knew in my heart for the first time in life that I was really done with my life as I had known it. I didn't set a New Year's resolution or anything about losing weight, changing life, etc. My life has changed though...the entire thing; A new lifestyle.

I'm compassionate about health. 

Getting back to emotional health, I have to talk about this because it is where many of us get stuck. It's where if I was mad, sad, scared, it didn't matter I seemed to place food in my mouth. I'd go hide in parking lots all alone to gorge myself on food. I remember one time eating 2 cheeseburgers, a chicken salad, large french fries, 20 piece chicken nuggets, and a XL pop. Ewww! Right? Well when one is in that mindset...you just hide so no one knows the ewww, or at least that's what I did.

Also, I was paid to clean my plate especially when going out to eat and every time I'd do it; then I'd have to go to the bathroom to get rid of it sometimes. Uhm, that didn't last long though before I was just used to cleaning my plate and so was my stomach. I will have to say we cannot fall into victimization status about ourselves over this because we are grown adults and have a choice. After you have been supplied any information don't discard it as not important or an interest to you. I wasn't interested in insulin or sugar information because well, I don't have diabetes staring me down, I don't have cancer eating my body up, I don't have anything/no diagnosis except migraines and obesity; being irresponsible with my body. I get it though, this thought process can't click for anyone else either until they want it to click. 

I've always had a choice, but when I found out the lies that are even deeper than one can imagine; that was my final click/light bulb moment.

It sucks because I always thought all these years it was my fault. Obesity is not anyone's fault...it's everybody's fault, unless one is actively contributing to the health of others along with themselves. I refuse not to inform my readers, my friends, acquaintances of what I know or find out. I cannot live with the guilt of not caring and not saying anything. I refuse. So, if you find yourself my friend on FB, Instagram, Twitter chances are you might get tired of my posts. I don't just post about this stuff only because I'm more into encouraging life and embracing joy than anything else. 

We have been lied to from the food corporations, medical profession and governing officials that we expected to oversee our health. It's all a lie (see my post on I feel like Maury...and that was a lie (Pt 1). The lies have been around a very long time, I'm just now figuring all that out. Now I'm a sponge and I hope at some point you will be one too for yourself, your family, for the Creator (my belief system). We can no longer play victim; we have a choice.

I'm out to prove to not only the rulers of lies but to myself; I can be healthy. I will do what needs to be done to remain that way. It's going to be a journey, and I'm taking it slow. Join me if you want; I'd love it.

So back to what you started reading this blog for in the first place...Step 1 

1) I took out all sugar (I know I know, you can't do that...but, but, but EXCUSES your choice :)) Sugar meaning anything processed, all the aka sugar names like high fructose corn syrup, and on and on the list goes. So I don't shop the middle isles of the store anymore because practically EVERYTHING is lurking sugar. I sure don't buy low  

fat, etc because it's been replaced with aka sugars. If you haven't already please watch Fed Up on Netflix. This is exactly where I started. I was livid after that; really livid. 

With this we have decreased choosing foods with labels. We cleared out all our pantry, refrigerator, etc and found pounds and pounds of processed items with high contents of sugar. Another truth about  sugar...you might want to see. (here)

TIA for sharing, commenting, and I'd love to hear your journey. I'm here to support you.

Blessings! I care about you! 

~Yvonne