In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower
Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!
Ahhhhhh. Wish it were so simple as a push of the LifeLine pendant and poof, I'm back on track.
So. It all started on Friday. Invited over to spend the evening with some friends. I had my Food Plan. I just failed to plan. And truth be told, part of me thought "Oh who cares, I can just eat whatever they're having." Red Alert. Danger Zone.
What they had was most definitely not on my Food Plan. Pizza. Pasta. Chocolate. Hello?
So, I had some. And then, I had some more. And then, I was off and running. My best intentions of "I'll only have a little" fly out the window once I take that first bite. There is, without a doubt, something that occurs within my body when I ingest refined carbs (read: sugar and flour). I lack all ability to say "Thank you very much, I've had enough." It's just gimme more, more, more.
Sugar = Heroin, for this gal.
It's been proven that sugar has a chemical effect on the brain -- and I'm living proof -- but is this addiction? I dunno. On the post below, you’ll find a test from the Food Addict’s website. Don’t know how scientific it is, but it would appear that I’m the poster child for food addiction.
Water is the most neglected nutrient in your diet but one of the most vital. ~ Kelly Barton
I found an incredible book the other day -- The Hidden Messages In Water by Dr. Masuro Emoto. After years of concern about humanity's waste and ruin of water, Emoto developed an innovative method to demonstrate the health of water and the ways in which we can affect it.
Dr. Emoto developed a process to photograph tens of thousands of water samples. He documented the crystal forms of natural and tap water from various regions of the world and water under various conditions, including water that had been prayed over, had music played to it, and with both positive and negative words spoken to it.
Some samples, like those from city tap water, showed little or no coherent form. Instead they appeared chaotic, distorted and murky. Other samples, such as those from pristine mountain springs, produced beautiful and highly complex six-sided crystals. Some looked like perfectly cut diamonds or intricate mandalas.
Emoto explains, "The hexagonal crystals represent the Life Force of Mother Nature. Therefore, the absence of hexagonal crystals can be seen as a sign that the life force has been compromised energetically."
His photos of water samples held in containers with word labels taped to them provide undeniable proof about the power of words. Elegant, rich forms result from "Love," "Thank You," and "Peace." Molecular breakdown results from such words as "You Fool," and "I Hate You."
For those who question the power of prayer, especially over food and drink before eating, Emoto's experiment with families verbally and thoughtfully thanking tap water and sending it love leaves little doubt. The ignored control samples remained chaotic, while the loved and thanked samples displayed beautiful crystalline forms.
Water, which comprises 70% of our planet's surface as well as our own physical bodies, is the source of all life on Earth. It easily adapts to and reflects its surrounding environments -- both physically and molecularly! What kind of message have you been sending to your body lately -- Thank You or I Hate You?
Water's message is that we have the ability to powerfully heal and transform our lives and our planet, not only through what we do and say, but also by each thought we choose and intention with which we act.
To see a sampling of some of these amazing photographs, check out: http://www.life-enthusiast.com/twilight/research_emoto.htm
It's not that some people have willpower and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and others are not. ~ Nelson Mandela
As the Sun enters the sign of Libra, day and night are again in perfect balance. Temperatures begin to drop, leaves begin to fall and, once again, the element of Change moves into our lives. In truth, Change is the one constant in the Universe that we can rely on.
Thirty days ago I set an intention and began a journey to change my relationship to food. And oh, what changes have ensued.
Not once have I uttered the D Word. I've done a few of "those" before -- Slim Fast, Atkins, Protein Power Plan, Sommersizing, Diet Center, Richard Simmons, 6 Week Body Makeover, Apple Cider Vinegar, Weight Watchers, Fat Flush, Metabolism Booster...ad infinitum. I knew that this journey could not simply be about calories in/calories out.
I have purposefully not jumped on the scale daily and allowed myself to become fixated on the numbers. But hey, let's talk about the numbers for a sec. 17 pounds released. Goodbye. Today, I took body measurements at the one-month mark. Down 1" in the neck. Down 1" in the arm. Down 1" in the chest. Down 1.5" in the waist. Down 2" in the hips. Down 1" in the thighs. Shapeshifting? You betcha!
Perhaps more significant than my body's physical changes, are the internal changes taking place. Here's a bit of what I've learned about myself thus far:
* Certain foods trigger the phenomenon of craving for me. Before, my foods came in bags, boxes and cans. My three basic food groups were sugar, flour and fat. Foods falling into those three groups trigger a physical craving for me. I want more, more, more. Eliminate those foods, eliminate the craving.
* The compulsion to overeat is emotional for me. It's all related to how I'm feeling. Sad, angry, lonely, tired, bored...I'll turn to food. I have a Holy Hunger that no amount of food can satiate, because it's not a physical hunger. I have to discover ways to feed and nourish my Spirit.
* Certain behaviors can trigger a binge and/or unhealthy food choices for me: eating standing up at the counter; eating in front of the fridge; eating in the car; eating in front of the television. Eliminate those behaviors, eliminate the risk of making poor choices.
"The Doctrine of Signatures" contends that every whole food has a pattern that resembles a body organ or physiological function, and that this pattern acts as a signal or sign as to the benefit the food provides the eater.
Here are some examples of Whole Food Signatures.
A sliced CARROT looks like the human eye and science shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
GRAPES hang in a cluster in the shape of a heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and research today shows that grapes are a profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
A WALNUT looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrum and lower cerebellum. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over three dozen neuro-transmitters for healthy brain function.
CELERY, BOK CHOY AND RHUBARB look like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
EGGPLANT, AVOCADOS & PEARS target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female -- they also resemble these organs. Research shows that when a woman eats one or more avocados a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit.
SWEAT POTATOES look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
GRAPEFRUIT, ORANGES AND OTHER CITRUS fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
BANANA, CUCUMBER & ZUCCHINI target the size and strength of the male sexual organ. It's true!
PEANUTS have a profound effect on the testicles and sexual libido. Peanuts were banned as a food for males by the church during the middle ages. Most people don't realize that arginine, the main component of Viagra, comes from peanuts.
Rest: A state of quiet or repose; a cessation from motion or labor; tranquility; as, rest from mental exertion; rest of body or mind.
Three of the Seven Dwarfs have taken possession of my body, so I'm hitting the hay early tonight. In fact, I plan on being horizontal as soon as I post this interesting tidbit...
Did you know that sleep had anything to do with success in losing weight? Get to know leptin and ghrelin. They sound like a Hungarian comedy act, but they are hormones that regulate appetite. Ghrelin is produced in the stomach and signals the brain when it's time to eat. Leptin is secreted by adipose tissue (i.e. fat) and has the reverse effect, telling your brain when you are full. Chronic lack of sleep increases ghrelin and decreases leptin, leading you to feel hungry when you don't really need to eat and to keep eating after you have gotten the calories you need.
Kernels of wisdom from Geneen Roth and Breaking Free From Compulsive Eating...
* Years of dieting had taught her not to trust her body’s messages. She had forgotten that eating had anything to do with being hungry.
* Most of the time we eat in response to our minds. Most of the time we feed our bodies without consulting our bodies. Most of the time when we eat has little to do with what we are eating for – physical nourishment, satisfaction, a healthy body.
* Food was the glue that held my life together between hungers.
* What is it that you want from food beyond its nourishing your body?
* Physical hunger is of the body. Physical hunger asks for food. Nonphysical hunger is of the mind, the heart. When you see that your physical hunger is capable of being fulfilled, you can begin to allow that same possibility for your emotional hunger.
* There is nothing you can’t have tomorrow so there is no reason to eat it all today.
When fate hands you a lemon, make lemonade. ~ Dale Carnegie
I haven't been able to access my blog for several days now. Actually, I haven't been able to do anything computerwise. Horror of horrors, my hard drive died. Thankfully, I am diligent at backing up my files, not because anything horrible has ever happened to me, but because I've heard about other people's nightmare experiences. I am so, so, so grateful that I do regular back-ups.
I can't do my job as a publicist without a computer and with imminent deadlines I don't have the luxury of taking a week off right now. So, while the Mac is getting its innards replaced, I had to boot up an old laptop and bring it up to snuff, updating software, installing files, etc.
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!
I have to tell you, I really did not like being cut off from my EP community. Not one bit. I've only been hanging around this neighborhood for the past three weeks, but traveling this road with all of you has so enriched my weightloss journey. I found myself thinking of all my blog buddies throughout the day and wondering how each one was doing.
So. I'm back.
Weigh-in yesterday morning showed a loss of 3.9 pounds this week, for a total of 12.8. Buh-bye!
I must share, however, that in the midst of the big Mac crash, I had a craving (stress-induced, I'm sure) for a Big Mac. Yup, the golden arches were calling. And, I succumbed.
Now, a Big Mac is most definitely not on my Food Plan. For three weeks, I've consumed only whole foods -- fresh fruits and vegetables, free-range eggs, poultry and meats, wild-caught fish -- no processed foods of any kind. I've adopted a number of new habits with the intent of changing my relationship to food...I eat sitting down; I look at the food on my plate; I smell it; I savor the taste; I chew it -- this, as opposed to shoveling it in.
So, I gave in to the craving. I ordered a Big Mac and fries. And I can honestly tell you, it was not the least bit appealing. It didn't look good. It didn't smell good. And, it really didn't taste all that hot. Which leads me to believe that I never used to really taste my food at all before. Seriously. I think, like all emotional eaters, I was accustomed to numbing myself with food. I missed out on the whole pleasure of eating. Is it any wonder I totally missed the signals that I had had enough? I always used to say that I was missing the genetic chip that enabled one to say, "No thanks, I don't care for any" or "Thanks, but I've had enough for now".
Are you ready?
I didn't finish the Big Mac and fries! Really. My body said, "No thanks!" and I said okey dokey.
Hmmmmm, strange happenings. Sounds like my internal hard drive is on the fritz too!
You don't have to smoke. You don't have to drink. They're options. You don't have an option with eating. You have to eat to live. ~ Jenny Craig
I used to live to eat. I'm learning to eat to live. I'm changing my relationship to food. I'm choosing to become conscious of my food choices; trying to be more mindful of what I'm putting in my body.
I read something today so lovely, I wanted to share it with my blog buddies. May you find some inspiration here:
I bless the food I ingest because it is all God. I bless God within me. I bless God in everything I see, smell, feel, taste, touch, sense. Ingestion of God in full Consciousness creates expansion in my Consciousness at every level of my Being. If I hold the food I eat in the highest vibration, that high vibration is what I take in. As I drink water, I hold the Consciousness of taking the Living Waters of God Consciousness into myself, thus creating greater God Consciousness within myself.
Eating Consciously is not about the act of filling our stomachs. As I bless the food, and those who have lovingly prepared it, I am aware that the entire universe supports my existence. I experience the Miracle of Oneness. I feel no separation in Consciousness. Everything in form and formlessness are connected in the circle of Consciousness which supports Life. I am part of this flow. The glue which holds this all together is Love. If I eat in full Consciousness, I ingest Love, I ingest Source in every bite. I give thanks unceasingly as I eat. When I have completed a meal, I pray that all Beings experience the Truth of their Being as God. My mealtime experience is thus quite different when I eat Consciously.
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don't go back to sleep. You must ask for what you really want. Don't go back to sleep. People are walking back and forth across the threshold where the two worlds meet. The door is round and open. Don't go back to sleep. ~ Rumi
I spent a considerable amount of time yesterday in quiet reflection...
September 11, 2001 was a tragic day for humanity. People around the globe were touched by such a sudden and enormous loss of life. Life as we knew it had changed in an instant. Priorities were different. Things we once took for granted suddenly had new meaning and importance.
Six years.
Yesterday marked a celestially auspicious occasion as well. The eclipse and new moon energies brought another opportunity to review and release what no longer serves us.
Well, I've released almost 9 pounds in the last two weeks. And I feel like there's more waking up than just my metabolism. I have a clarity and awareness today that was lacking while I was walking around in a sugar-induced fog.
I have completely and totally changed what, when and how I eat. The result of this internal shapeshift is that today, I'm able to find the simplicity and grace in my life. I choose to live in Joy, Compassion and Gratitude. I consciously align myself with the flow of Divine Love. Quite a different world than the one I resided in two short weeks ago. And yet, nothing in my external world has changed.
We're living in a time of great challenges, one that has been foretold for centuries. The prophesies come from many lands and many peoples. Each one anticipates a shift from darkness to light, a time of partnership and balance. And each speaks of a time during the transition when we will be faced with monumental challenges, tested as never before.
The goal of terrorism is terror, not death. If we are still living in terror today, the terrorists have won.
So today, I issue a challenge -- a plea, really -- to everyone here within the EP community:
Let your homage to those who died six years ago be the willingness to risk living the life that brings your soul's purpose into the world. Please don't go back to sleep. Choose to take action. You always have the power to create change within yourself in the moment. Take the risk to love more. Honor yourself. Align your spirit with your personality. And, please, bring forth your gifts and share them with us.
