Getting Started

I got a message yesterday asking "How do you get started without family support, without spending your life's savings, and without going insane?"  Remember, I'm still on my journey.  I am not an expert, but I can tell you what has worked and is working for me.

Cold Turkey.  I have been on enough diets & programs in my 42 years to know that I cannot have a little sugar here & a little sugar there.  A cheat day will turn in to a week, month, year...  It's like giving a recovering crack addict a little bit of crack.  Ya know, for a treat. Just a little won't hurt right? You have to be willing to tell yourself, NO!
The first few days to month could really suck depending on how much healing and detoxing your body has to do.  HOLD ON THROUGH THIS.  You could feel Sick & Nauseous with Headaches & Body Aches.  You could have Brain Fog & be Exhausted.  This is a normal.  You are coming down off a drug.  Your body has to go through this process.  If you hold on though it, on the other side of this is Energy & Clarity, Appetite Control, Hormone & Mood Control.  You will no longer get Hangry with Blood Sugar Swings.  YOU JUST HAVE TO HOLD ON!

Keep It Simple.  You don't need to buy a bunch of crazy ingredients right away.  Ease in to it by making simple changes.  If your family is eating Spaghetti (with a no sugar added sauce), make it as you normally would, but switch out your noodles to Palmini and make regular noodles for them.  If your cooking on the grill you can all eat the meat.  Just make a side for them and a side for you.  Keep items for Salads on hand, so you have something quick to grab for yourself if your making something you can't convert.  You don't have to make 2 separate meals.  Just make the meals as you normally would & eat what you can out of it, or make a separate pan to replace the part you can't eat.

Convert...
Potatoes to Radishes
Rice to Cauliflower Rice
Pasta to Palmini

Saving Money.  Aldis & Store Brands.  Aldi has a huge selection of on plan items.  Don't pass up store brands.  Read the ingredients.  Many times you'll find they don't have added sugar.  I use Aldi Marinara & Great Value Pizza Sauce.  You'll also find many of the ingredients go further.  Especially if you're the only one eating them.  You'll also have much less of an appetite eating this way, so won't go through the food near as fast. Palmini is around $4 a can.  That seems like a lot I know, but I can eat 2 to 4 meals off of one can.  The Splenda Naturals is almost $6 for a small about 1/2 lb container.  But, it's at least 2x as strong as Sugar.  Very little goes a long ways.

People are Assholes.  What about the comments from people who don't agree or understand this way of eating?  Who. Cares.  Stick with it.  Seeing your results will shut them.  Before you know it their tune will change from criticizing you to asking for advice.

"Hustle until your Haters ask if you're hiring." I heard this quote yesterday & love it!  I feel like it fits here too.

Trust the process.  Have fun with it.  I've never enjoyed losing weight & getting healthy as much as I have enjoyed this.  You never have to feel deprived.  You can recreate just about any meal in a healthy way. You just have to get creative.  Just stick to it.  It gets easier & better all the time.  You can do this.

Blessings!
Mandy