Thank it and Release it....

photo property of Sieglinde Rouse

I believe in releasing things that no longer serve you.  There are things/situations/people that served a great purpose for you at one time.  The problem is, sometimes we hold on so tight to those people and things that we can't see when it is time to let go.  And quite honestly, we are scared to death to think about what life would be like without them there.  That relationship that brings you more tears of sadness than tears of joy...it no longer serves you, thank them for what they brought to your life and release it!  That friendship that was great at one point in your life, but since has become a drain on your spirit, thank it for the purpose it served and release it!  The hurt you feel when you think about a particular person or event, release it!   The weight that is now causing you great sources of physical as well as emotional pain, acknowledge it, thank it, and release it!  Holding onto these things are putting your mind, spirit, and body in a place where you are asking for more of the same...more hurt, more anger, more disappointment.   Get your head and heart free and happy to bring in more happiness, more joy, more freedom to do what you want!

In applying these principals to weight loss, it is helpful to acknowledge where your weight came from, thank it for serving its purpose, and release it.  Sounds strange right?  Here is an exercise I have been doing that I find incredibly therapeutic.  I start by breaking down where my weight gain came from:

·         20 pounds gained grieving the death of my father. 

·         10 pounds gained becoming a food blogger.

·         30 pounds gained from being pregnant.

·         20 pounds gained as a teenager and young adult.

·         20 pounds gained as an older child - teenager.

So, there, I acknowledged it.  Now, I go through each one and thank it for serving its purpose, and release it. 

·         To the 20 pounds I gained while grieving the death of my father:  I used you to stave off that tidal wave of grief.  I stuffed food on top of all that sadness instead of dealing with the crippling reality.  That was simply putting a bandage over a wound.  A wound that got infected because it was not cleaned and dealt with properly.  Thank you for what you provided at the time, but I no longer need you.  I am dealing with my grief is a healthy and productive way.   I release you.

·         To the 10 pounds I gained while becoming a food blogger:  Thank you for all the wonderful food I tried over and over again so I could present what I thought my readers wanted.  I met some of the MOST AMAZING people through my food blog.  However, I no longer need you.  Those wonderful people whom I now count as friends are just as happy to read about my low sugar/low carb recipes as they were to read about my sugar laden cakes and desserts.  The reality is that they just wanted to hear me!  I release you.

·         To the 30 pounds I gained with 3 pregnancies:  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for providing my amazing children the nourishment they needed to grow and be healthy!  You have given me my life's greatest pride and joy.  But, I no longer need you.  I am no longer pregnant.  My children ARE strong and healthy.  I release you.

·         To the 20 pounds I gained while a teenager:  I have to admit, I used you.  I used you to keep the boys uninterested in me so I would not become pregnant and married at 16 like my older sisters.  When I was 8, I saw what that did to my family.  I saw one sister drop out of high school and no longer have the future she wanted.  I saw another sister give birth to a severely handicapped child because her young body could not handle the pressures of pregnancy.  I saw my parents become grandparents at the age I am now.  I wanted no part of that.  So, thank you weight for keeping the boys at bay so I didn't even have to worry about that.  I now know that I could have just said "no", lol!  But, I am now married to a man who saw past the fat and saw my soul and has loved me far more than I ever thought possible.  I release you.

·         To the 20 pounds I gained as a child:  I admit, I used you too.  It was a double edged sword really.  I never fit in with my family.  My Mom was a model, my Dad was the ultra-cool vice and narcotics cop....kinda Miami Vice-ish, haha.  They were two very beautiful people that were very busy with their own lives.  My extended family was all overweight.  I used you to not only get my parents to notice me, but I used it to fit in with part of my family.  I didn't work.  It no longer matters to me.  I release you.

I challenge you to think about your weight and ask yourself the question if it still serves you.  If not, are you ready to release it?  The reality is, until we are seriously ready to release the weight from our mind, we will never be able to release it from our bodies, no matter how many different programs we try. 

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and will have an even better week ahead!

XOXO

Just a thought



photo courtesy of Pinterest

 The above is a quote I saw on Pinterst (aka fantasy football for girls) that I wanted to share.  If you are on Pinterest, look me up!  http://pinterest.com/siggyspice/ 

I had all intentions of posting at least every-other day.
Ahhh...those dang intentions, lol!  I have actually been sick this week.  I think it is a combo of my body freaking out a little bit due to sugar/carb withdrawal and kid cooties.
That aside, I feel GREAT!  I have not felt the slightest bit deprived or discouraged.  As soon as it may seem, I do feel less puffy.  I think sugar and carbs attributes a lot of inflammation to my body.
I should be getting my shipment today of Nature's Hallow products and some coconut flour.   I am looking forward to passing along recipes and product reviews soon!

I also wanted to let you know, just so there is no confusion, if you click on my Blogger Profile, it will show 2 blogs, this one and Siggy Spice.  Siggy Spice is my food blog that I started almost 2 years and 25 pounds ago.  While it was incredibly therapeutic for me to do after the passing of my Dad, it wasn't so much to my weight.  I still have several recipes I am going to share on Siggy Spice that are sitting in my queue that were made weeks, if not months, ago.  Once I am through those, Siggy Spice followers are going to start getting the same recipes as you.   I am going to go through the existing Siggy Spice recipes and see what I can re-tweak to fit the low sugar/low carb journey I have begun.  I just didn't want you thinking I was leading some kind of secret double life, HA!

I think if I am feeling up to it, I am going to go see "One For the Money" this weekend...I have read that entire series and love it.  If you plan on seeing it, there is a groupon from the movie studio that lets you go see the movie for $6 a ticket...any time, any theatre.  The deal is set to expire at midnight tonight though I think.
ANYWAY, I hope you all have a FABULOUS weekend!

Why today?

Why Today?

Knowing that something has to be done is one thing.  Knowing what you believe in your heart to be the right way to do it is another.  Starting it is a whole different story.  I know I need to release weight.  I believe that eating low carb/low sugar is the way for my body to do that.  Yet starting is a whole new story. 

Ready or not, here I go. 

Today I start claiming my body.  Not the body I have had for many, many years, but the body I know is my right to have.  Strong, healthy, and vibrant.   So, if I know this and feel this, why am I scared?  Why am I nervous?  For me, I am scared to death of another failure.  I have, like so many, lost weight only to regain it back.  Granted, I have never  been able to meet a goal weight, or even come close really.   The thought of releasing 100 pounds is so overwhelming.  So I have decided I am NOT going to lose 100 pounds, I am going to lose 10 pounds...10 times.  Sure, it is semantics...but this is my journey, so I can play that game with myself if I want, lol!

So, why today?  Long story short, it is my Dad's birthday today.  My Dad would have been 63 today.  He died almost 3 years ago of Lung Cancer.  Lung Cancer that he developed by smoking excessively for many years.  I could never understand why he couldn't just STOP smoking.  I mean, he knew all the risks, he saw his Mom die due to complications of smoking.  Why were cigarettes more important than his family he was surely going to leave behind?  It was his addiction.  Then it hit me.  My weight is the same as his cigarettes.  It will surely cause as much damage to my body.  It will surely shorten my life, taking time away from my family.  Plain and simple, I do not want my children to see me like that. I do not want my children asking why I can't just STOP.  I do not want my children to lose me so young. I do not want my children to have to figure out who is going to have to take care of me. I WANT to see my kids grow up and grow old. I WANT to be involved in my grandkids lives. I WANT to live a long and healthy life for them and for me. This is a disease I am going to have to fight every day. That is how I have to view it. Same as a nicotine, or a drug, or an alcohol additiction. I will never be cured. Even at my goal weight, I will have to fight the obesity disease EVERYDAY.

Starting today.  On my Dad's birthday.  As a reminder of what lies ahead of me if I do not take care of my body.  As a reminder of those I stand to hurt beside myself.

Starting today, starting right now...