By Wilma Young
Do you find yourself saying, “It’s a new beginning. I will conquer IT this time. I will eat only minuscule
amounts, deprive myself of the things I love and drink diet soda until the cows
come home to quench my hunger. I will be a diet martyr even if my family hates me in the meantime.
Besides, they will LOVE me more when I am thinner. I will MAKE this weight get
off of me even if it kills me”!!!…Well believe me honey, it will!!
How many times have you decided that, by brute force, you will make your body acquiesce to
your ideals and finally have the body you have always wanted? Then you end up not
only NOT thinner but grumpier and unhappier?
First, you must eat to release weight. If you starve the muscle you will reduce your metabolism and your body will hold onto the fat because it goes into starvation mode. It doesn’t know
when it will get it’s next meal and especially in the case of women, the body will hold onto the
fat for survival. Then when you sacrifice to the point that you feel totally
deprived, your body feels annoyed and you hold onto resentment. This negative energy
stays stored in your cells. It will have a major impact on how your
body holds onto toxins and that inevitably will hinder your progress.
Then, the dreaded diet soda. You think that having zero calories and plenty of chemicals
floating in your system will trick your body into weight loss but think again. The
chemicals are sending out signals that tell your body it is getting sugar, but
it really ISN’T getting sugar. Now your body is releasing insulin to manage the
sugar that can’t be found and then you will store all of this in your tummy area. You feel
bloated and you start holding onto to water weight. This is NOT the formula for a happy, healthy
life.
May I suggest that the slow steady pace, the one that allows for meals
every 2-3 hours, a little variance when it comes to your favorite item (in
moderation of course) and a ZERO TOLERANCE for diet soda is the key to long term
health and weightloss success! I prefer you do not consume any soda at all in your diet but
if you absolutely must, make it a regular. Granted, it is 10+ teaspoons of sugar -
but at least your body recognizes it as sugar and not the chemical composition
that even a chemistry student would have a hard time deciphering. Remember, your
body is a miracle. It can take a lot and keep on going but let’s get serious. Do
you want to live on this rollercoaster? Do you want to hate not being able to
indulge every once in a while? Do you want to send the signals to your body that
you will force it into submission? Anyone who has dealt with small children and tried to force them into submission can tell you this is a short term solution that will make the next blow-out bigger. Be kind to
yourself. Give your body the foods it really wants so it can perform at optimal
levels. And PLEASE let the soda go. Your body will react by achieving an ideal weight and your cells and your soul will thank you!
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