Why am I back? I need accountability.
What do I need accountability for? Starting today September 20th, I am challenging myself to take on the Whole 30 Nutrition Plan for 30 days.
What is Whole 30? No refined or added sugar, no alcohol, no grains, no dairy, no legumes and no highly processed foods for 30 days...It is basically a paleo diet with the added restriction of no fake foods...ie desserts with almond flour or flour-less pancakes. It is structured around the idea of removing items from one's diet that may have a negative impact on one's health, fitness and energy levels. I won't bore you with all the details...if you want to know more go to whole30.com and read at your leisure. I know there are naysayers to everything---I am not doing this as a fad diet, I do not intend to drop 30 pounds in 30 days and I will most definitely will not be eliminating ice cream from my diet for all eternity---So although I respectfully acknowledge your nutritional opinions it is not necessary for you to comment on the validity of this nutrition plan. This is much more about a mental nutrition plan than a physical one---read below for more.
Why am I doing this? To be honest, I need to hit the "reset button". The past year and especially the past few moths have been hard. A lot has been going on and I feel like I am headed in a direction that is not where I want to go.
I was so on top of my fitness regime a year ago. Going to the gym before or after work everyday. Workouts on the weekend. I ate healthy, nothing crazy, but a balanced diet with a splurge every now and again. I felt good, I was happy, life was busy, but I was happy and I didn't have to find reasons to be happy. I just was.
The past year has brought about new challenges. I fully acknowledge that challenge is opportunity (and a natural part of life) and that these new challenges are good for me, but at the same time, they have brought a shift in my routine. I am not working out as regularly as I would like, I am using the excuse of being exhausted to opt for convenience foods (no I'm not hitting up the drive through, but we all know the convenience of a Trader Joe's microwave meal) and I feel like these are paving the way for my attitude to drift to a space of negativity all too often. Some days I feel like I wake up in the morning just to survive the day.
I'm not saying any of this to gain pity points. I am blessed, I have loving parents that support me, I have a job and a roof over my head. In no way is my life as "hard" as it could be...and this is why I do not like the shift in my attitude. I do not want to be the girl that complains about things, I do not want to wallow in misery, I want to see the good in things instead of having to rationalize and convince myself of it.
This is where the reset button comes in. I know changing my diet is not going to suddenly open up huge vacancies in my schedule to allow for mid-day bike rides nor is going to eliminate the day to day challenges of living; however, it is a conscience commitment to myself that I am worth the effort of fueling my body with nutritious, whole, non-chemically enhanced food. My hope is that by focusing on this one aspect of my life that I can control in a healthy way, I will regain the passion for maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle and a positive attitude that is second nature and not one where I have to remind myself to "find the good".
Many years ago I was asked in an interview, "What is your goal in life?"
My response was: To leave the world a happier place than the one I was born into.
I believe happiness begins with the individual. If I am not happy, I cannot make others happy. I don't know if committing myself to this nutrition plan for 30 days will restore my attitude, but if I don't try, I'll never know. So here goes...September 20th, day 1.
And now you all know about it...accountability has be established.
No comments:
Post a Comment