When I started the Whole Life Challenge, I got a lot of negative/critical reactions to the changes that I made in my eating habits. It took me a while to get used to it as well as to learn how to react to the comments people were making, but I did learn eventually.
At that time I was focused on committing to the challenge and seeing how things changed in my life - my mentality, my body, my strength, my emotions ...
Before I got to that point, however, there were two things that were driving my efforts to lose weight 1) diabetes and heart disease run in my family and I am absolutely petrified of being diagnosed as diabetic 2) my self-esteem and confidence was suffering.
I'm still really afraid of being diabetic, particularly because I believe that following a healthy lifestyle can prevent the illness. Following the Whole Life Challenge helped me get things more in line with living that healthy lifestyle, and though I am still worried about getting the illness (after all, it is hereditary) I know that I am in a much better place to help myself minimize the chances of getting it.
One of my friends had quite a few things to say about my eating changes - you don't have to be so drastic, you should treat yourself once in a while, etc. etc. More than that, she kept asking the details about the diet. 'What diet are you following?' I always clarified this with - It's not a diet. It's a choice. It's a lifestyle change.
Still, I don't think the words really sunk in. It was still seen as a diet. It was seen as restrictions. It was seen as deprivation.
Recently, this friend said the doctors think she is diabetic. They want her to go off all sugars and carbs for one month and retest her to see if it was just a temporary situation or if it was something more serious.
I immediately felt a bit of panic. It can happen to anyone, at any time.
I also thought: Start now. Start now. Start now.
Don't wait until it is to late to make these lifestyle changes. Don't wait until you are forced to make the changes. Do it while you are still in control, while you still have time to figure out what works and what doesn't, while you can adjust to the new lifestyle without the pressure and anxiety of illness hanging over your head.
Change, no matter what kind, always takes some time getting used to, but you have to believe that you are strong and resiliant ... and there is no way not eating a piece of bread or some French fries will harm you. There are so many things in life that we do not have control over ... but food is not one of them. There are so many good, delicious, healthy foods out there ... it's just about trusting yourself and knowing that you are strong enough to do it.
Don't wait. Start today. Start right now.
At that time I was focused on committing to the challenge and seeing how things changed in my life - my mentality, my body, my strength, my emotions ...
Before I got to that point, however, there were two things that were driving my efforts to lose weight 1) diabetes and heart disease run in my family and I am absolutely petrified of being diagnosed as diabetic 2) my self-esteem and confidence was suffering.
I'm still really afraid of being diabetic, particularly because I believe that following a healthy lifestyle can prevent the illness. Following the Whole Life Challenge helped me get things more in line with living that healthy lifestyle, and though I am still worried about getting the illness (after all, it is hereditary) I know that I am in a much better place to help myself minimize the chances of getting it.
One of my friends had quite a few things to say about my eating changes - you don't have to be so drastic, you should treat yourself once in a while, etc. etc. More than that, she kept asking the details about the diet. 'What diet are you following?' I always clarified this with - It's not a diet. It's a choice. It's a lifestyle change.
Still, I don't think the words really sunk in. It was still seen as a diet. It was seen as restrictions. It was seen as deprivation.
Recently, this friend said the doctors think she is diabetic. They want her to go off all sugars and carbs for one month and retest her to see if it was just a temporary situation or if it was something more serious.
I immediately felt a bit of panic. It can happen to anyone, at any time.
I also thought: Start now. Start now. Start now.
Don't wait until it is to late to make these lifestyle changes. Don't wait until you are forced to make the changes. Do it while you are still in control, while you still have time to figure out what works and what doesn't, while you can adjust to the new lifestyle without the pressure and anxiety of illness hanging over your head.
Change, no matter what kind, always takes some time getting used to, but you have to believe that you are strong and resiliant ... and there is no way not eating a piece of bread or some French fries will harm you. There are so many things in life that we do not have control over ... but food is not one of them. There are so many good, delicious, healthy foods out there ... it's just about trusting yourself and knowing that you are strong enough to do it.
Don't wait. Start today. Start right now.
With diabetes in your family, I would have acted the same way. Even without diabetes in my family, I was scared about my risk and it was initially part of my reasoning for changing my lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteSo true what you say about bread and French fries.
:-) Marion