Why Do You Cry So Much?

WordsOfWednesday

It’s been about 6months since I started my diet with changes that I hoped would help change my internal and external appearance.

I called my diet Green and Grown – I focused on eating things primarily green (leaves) and grown out of the ground (potatoes, vegetables, and such)
My target date to check in on my body and see how much progress I had made was 9/2/22 before my friend Renny’s wedding.

I had to weigh myself for something else around August 2nd and I had already hit the target goal I was aiming for.
Altogether, I had lost ~49pounds.
I was shocked and I began crying – I think I always knew I was capable but I also just didn’t know I could.
But here I am doing the damn thing- someone asked me recently how I had been able to achieve most of my goals.
Truth?
This battle has been won in the kitchen and evidence made known at the gym.
Here’s how

Green and Grown

– I made sure I was overloaded on vegetables and things loaded in fiber (I swear by Shirataki noodles), they are low in calories and high in fiber.
My typical meal with them stays balanced – Shirataki noodles, a scoop of rice, grilled chicken thighs, half a plantain (y’all know I love my plantain) & avocado.

Outside of the meals, the biggest thing was the mentality change. I became super conscious about everything I ate – yes sometimes I get obsessed with counting calories but the truth is by checking EVERY SINGLE THING, I have been able to stay ahead of my diet.

Fell out of love with rice and pasta

Growing up in a Nigerian home, Sundays were meant for rice.
I fell in love with pasta when I came to America and frankly it is the only thing where portion control goes out of the window.
Over the last few months, I cut both out.
Completely.
I replaced them with other carbs and when I started eating them again, I would only eat them in very small quantities.
I quickly realized I really like both but I was not that deeply in love with them.
I got creative about supplementing them.
Truth be told, I won’t say cutting them out entirely has changed my diet or life – but helping redefine my relationship with both has helped.

Emotional eating

I realized I was an emotional eater. Emotional eating is not only eating when you are sad and stuffing your face, it could also mean not eating when you should. Typically when your mood is low.
For me, when I am sad, I opt for sleep.
It then means I may not eat for a long time.
By the time I decide to eat, it’s 11pm or midnight. Sometimes sef, mo ti ro eba ni 1am. Not cap.
I had to change and get on a strict schedule.
Now I have to eat or drink a smoothie by noon, lunch or brunch snack by 3pm-ish, and dinner before 7pm, 8pm at the latest.
It doesn’t matter how I am feeling, I just make sure I eat something and so far it has changed how I look at food.

Get Practical

The other day, I realized that I do something I thought was funny.
Before when I wanted to ensure I didn’t forget something while leaving the house, I would set a reminder on my phone.
The problem was sometimes, even with the reminders, I would still forget.
So I changed and I started doing something else. If wanted to make sure I took something out of the house with me, I would place it right in front of the door heading out of my home.
That way, I physically had to bypass it to leave.

I started doing this with my food – I changed the plates I eat with, I stopped buying certain ingredients into the house, and so on.
I don’t believe it’s enough to assume or want to do something, I believe you have to be physically practical about your goals.
Outline the workouts you want to do at the gym, and align on the timeline you want for certain things – all of those things will eventually help you arrive where you’d like to.

Random Musings of the Week

Adulting is HARD

I remember when all I cared about was running fast enough to use the bathroom and wash my hands before my cartoons would come back from commercials. Now I am thinking of love languages, genotypes, credit scores, savings, and more.
When did it all become so difficult?

Kindness is important

The only currency I want to be paid in is kindness and respect.
Too often we decline what we can do vs. what we should do. People don’t always deserve our kindness but we should give it regardless.

Stay Up, Stay Safe & Stay Strong.
I LOVE YOU!

Yours always,

The Wordsmith
Master of Cliffhangers

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