Starting the Journey

I am finally ready to make some much needed and long overdue changes to my life.  After many years of trying to get skinny, I have decided to accept my body as it is and focus on getting healthy instead.  I realize that I am never going to be perfect and that no matter what I do, there will always be things I don't like about my physical appearance.  That's just part of being a woman, part of being human.  I only have one body so I might as well love it and take the best possible care of it.

This past year, I tried a lot of "diets".  Eating protein bars, meal replacement shakes, and other chemically engineered crap will help you to shed those pounds.  But, what happens when you return to a "normal" way of eating?  Well, in my case, you gain it all back.  Restricted calorie diets screw with your metabolism.  Your body gets used to surviving on a lower number of calories and starts conserving anything extra.  Sure Slim Fast, Special K, and other fad diets will help you lose weight.  Hell, they might even help you keep it off.  But, at what cost?  Is being thin really worth sacrificing your health?  Do you really want to live off of processed junk for the rest of your life?  It's time to adopt a new definition of the word "diet".  I will no longer think of a diet as a punishment for being fat.  As something I have to do temporarily until I lose enough weight to feel like it is okay to go back to eating again.  My diet will be my way of life.  My diet will be something that I keep for forever, for the rest of my life.  Food is no longer going to be my enemy.  Food will be the fuel my body needs to do the things I love to do.

So, where do I begin?  After some encouragement from my wonderful sister and some research of my own, I have come to the realization that a plant-based diet is the way to go.  I want to begin eating foods that come from the earth, not a factory.  However, before I can fully make the switch from man-made to God-made, I feel that I must detox.  I need to cleanse my body of all the toxins I have put in it for so many years.  I want to start off with a clean slate.  I am embarking on physical and spiritual journey that will lead me to a healthier life.  I want to change my relationship with food.  I want to remove the poisons from my body and my mind.  I want to change my taste buds and my outlook on life.  I will accomplish all of this through a 12 day juice fast.  I know it is not going to be easy.  But, for far too long, I have made excuses.  There is never going to be a perfect time to change.  I must start today.  I must invest in myself.  I want to live a life devoted to helping others.  To do this, I have to help myself first.

Please follow me as I begin my journey.  I would love to hear your thoughts.  Any words of encouragement will be much appreciated.