I continue to feel great about the healthy choices I make each day: walking and eating clean. I'm sleeping better and my days are full of optimism. This is my truth and yet this morning I woke up feeling hungover. I had a headache, my mind was a bit foggy, and my body was slow moving. Regardless of how I felt four hours ago, I choose to see this as a positive.

No more hiding - this is where I am today.

Why? Because this means my body is detoxing from the foods I ate. Foods that converted to sugar in my body and my body reacted to as if had been poisoned.

The hangover feeling has passed and I feel great, especially as I just came back from a short walk. I'm on a new road in my weight loss journey and it's exciting to be moving forward again.

I share this selfie of where I am today, because I haven't wanted to be seen in my tight clothes. I'm not hiding anymore.

As I made my morning coffee, I pondered over why I felt this way. I haven't had non-key foods for some time, so why today? Then I realized what's going on: I'm detoxing from sugar.

To better understand why sugar causes hangovers, I did a little research this morning. This article excerpt correlates the similarities between a hangover from alcohol and sugar:

Too much alcohol, just like too much sugar, affects your kidneys, liver, stomach and small intestines, which explains some of what is happening in your body. Dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, gastrointestinal disturbances and disruption of sleep are some of the results.

— Source: Body Ecology

Ah, so this is why I've been so dehydrated! My instincts have been been to consciously and consistently drink as much water as I can every day. This is a good thing to do every day, but it's especially helpful to flush out toxins from the carbs etc. that I indulged in.

Many key-friends have said that after their first sessions with Julie they felt as I did this morning and some felt this way for a week or longer. I was one of the lucky ones who actually felt INCREDIBLE from the moment I left my first session. This morning, not so much, but I accept this as part of my journey.

I really like the way I feel when I make healthy choices! It really is as simple as this: I choose to feel good - I choose to eat clean and exercise. I know first-hand how hard it is to make healthy choices when you are in the insane moment(s) of life. I also know first-hand that each time I say no to those foods, it gets easier and easier.

What about you? Have you been hiding? It's such a ridiculous thing to do, but shame can be a powerful force to reckon with, but you too can move toward a viable solution. I've dropped a lot of weight on this program and my recent gain cannot negate what I've done.

If you're struggling to get back on program, flip on your turn indicator and get back on the road to healthier choices. Believe that it is within you to make the changes you need to make. You can stop the insanity at any moment. You can tap away, push away, the call of sugars and carbs right now and continue your weight loss journey today.

Step away from unhealthy choices. Go shopping. Go for a walk. Go for it. You can do this.

May 19, 2016

As I traverse this new territory on my weight loss journey, I move forward, back and forth, or sideways. I acknowledge I am not a failure. I am a human being who is learning how to navigate my journey. I learned an acronym this week that resonated with me: FAIL = first action in learning.

The FAIL concept is that when we try something new we don't usually get it right the first time around; our first step in learning is to fail. We learn from our mistakes and then we move on to success.

I've been caught in a pothole and I'm learning how to not only avoid them, but how to get out of them without causing too much damage. Beating myself up for my choices doesn't help. Learning how to negotiate (with myself) to make healthier choices does.

There are moments when I feel optimistic and hopeful and moments when I don't. I choose to see this as an opportunity to learn what I can from this experience - and I have learned a great deal.

I've chosen to change course and to return to the river once more and I bring the new things I've learned with me, such as when I eat well and exercise:

• I think more clearly
• I have more energy
• I feel joyful
• I have more to give to others
• I feel good about myself and my life
• It feels good to be me

Notice how this list doesn't include the negative side of not eating well? That's because another lesson I learned is to look back at the positive moments at the end of each day. When I do this, I sleep better and my perspective on life improves.

I learned a few other things during this new phase of my weight loss journey...

The Right Foods
It's much easier to stay on program when I have the right food in the house. I shopped for groceries first thing this morning and "what's for dinner" is an easier question to answer.

Quick Protein
Having protein ready to eat is always a good choice. As I approached the cash register this morning, I grabbed a cooked chicken and told the cashier I changed my mind about the package of uncooked chicken I was going to buy.

Keep it Simple
Today I wanted to keep my meals simple and easy to grab. I'll cook tomorrow, but today I'm setting myself up for success by keeping it simple.

A little while ago I was hungry and it was wonderful to walk into my kitchen, toss some olive oil, onions, garlic, and kale into a pan, and within a few minutes serve them in a bowl with sliced chicken on top. Protein and exceptionally healthy greens - yummy! Plus leftovers for a couple more meals.

Kale with garlic and onions topped with roasted chicken.

Yesterday I made ginger tea and poured it into small ice cube trays. I drop 1 ice cube into my glass of seltzer and I instantly have a delicious drink. I'm adding this technique to my new bag of tricks. BTW, this drink is also delicious if you add a shot of vodka.  

What about you? Are you on track with your weight loss journey? If you're not, join me in changing course and getting back on track today!

May 17, 2016

My journey back on program has not been easy nor has it been perfect. I have several weeks where I'm doing great and then BOOM - not so great. Sometimes it's just a one time thing and other times it lasts a day or two. When I eat non-key foods, like carbs and sugars, my body wants more of the same. The key is to not eat those foods and eventually they stopping calling your name.

Little Mean Girl is always pointing me in the wrong direction!

Sunday morning I poured hot frothed milk into my coffee and discovered the milk had gone bad. I jumped into my car and backed out of my garage to get milk at a nearby gas station, as the grocery store wouldn't open for a few more hours.

I maneuvered the quick turns within my neighborhood toward the main road and that's when Little Mean Girl, one of my inner critics, started talking.

Turn right! You can get milk AND something sweet to have with your coffee!

"Oh no! Not this early in the morning!" I thought to myself.

Time seemed to slow down as I approached the main road. The battle with Little Mean Girl was less than a minute, but as I waited for an opening to make my turn, the inner dialogue kept repeating over and over like a dusty needle caught in a groove of a vinyl record. My mind was caught in a loop and I was having difficulty clearing the dust.

The traffic thinned out and provided an opening for me to turn. I pushed past the loud sugar calls and turned left.

It felt as if I was going against the laws of gravity to make this turn, but I did it anyhow.

I only needed to push beyond that moment and to set my trajectory toward the destination I where I wanted to arrive, to silence the calls of sugar and carbs.

Each time I hear these calls, I need to repeat this process:

1. Turn down the volume on Little Mean Girl.
2. See the choices and the consequences.
3. Set my trajectory to where I want to arrive.
4. Take the correct turn.
5. Repeat.
6. Repeat.
7. Repeat.

The other side of this turn is sweet success, which is far sweeter than anything Little Mean Girl has to offer. Nothing tastes as good as sweet success!

What about you? What do you do when you hear the calls of sugar or carbs?

May 03, 2016