You’ve made the decision to change your relationship with sugar, carbs and processed food and its really happening!
Kudos to you my friend and welcome to the first day of the rest of your life! Now what? How do you keep up the motivation in these early days and what tips can I offer you to help you curb your cravings and reset your relationship with food? How do you keep going?
Plan & Prepare & Protect your Recovery
In the early days of abstinence, this is key. But for goodness sake do not get caught up in diet mentality. You need only do this one day at a time and only up until bedtime. Get down to the shops, do your prep, batch cook if you must, but get clear on what you will eat on this day and stick to your plan. Heal the brain and your body will follow. Trust the process.
Next, Avoid Temptation
Not that kind of temptation! Food – you know the hidden things in the freezer, the fridge and the pantry cupboard that might pull you off track. Keep it tight and don’t hide food! If it is not there calling your name it is easier to break the crave cycle and because it is not within arms reach, its easier to ignore.
And if (heaven forbid) you have to share your home with your other half and your family and they are creating an almighty stink about your “new diet” and insisting they have access to the junk, ask them to box it and keep it in a cupboard away from you. Contain it! That right there is a master plan.
Bonus Tip: And on days when the Red Dog (your Addict Brain) howls, kick him into touch. Tell him – Truth is, I do like the sound of that but I have new goals today – may be we do that tomorrow. Bonus Bonus Tip: Make sure the words are spoken in a sexy Swedish accent – a la (addiction’s expert) Bitten Jonsson, RN from whom this excellent technique was received.
And guess what? It works!
Make Friends!
Who you connect with makes every difference to your chances of keeping going. Be discerning. Many, many folk as well as struggling with an ultra processed food addiction are also addicted to their story of suffering. Find a cheer leader who wants what you want: a life beyond addiction. Keep them on speed dial and call daily and as needed. An addict alone is in bad company. And do the same for them. This is not a one way street. Believe it or not, the act of service to one another is the fastest route out of a life time of suffering. Ask the Dalai Lama!
Eat enough food
Yep, the question that will haunt you for the rest of your life: are you treating your abstinence as a diet? Eat enough food to be able to make it through to your next meal. Remember to eat three meals a day. Keep it simple. Use whole ingredients and don’t skimp! Undereating is restriction is dieting and diet mentality. It’s old school and it doesn’t work. Our bodies have been under nourished for years. Love ‘em back into wholeness and do whatever it takes.
Bonus tip: Add 1 -2 tbspn of coconut oil or butter to a hot tea or coffee to eliminate cravings between meals. Add a good pinch of salt to a glass of water if you feel tired or make up a batch of sole water to replenish electrolytes. In early abstinence, a teaspoon of L-Glutamine powder taken half an hour before meals in a glass of water, will help to stabilise blood sugar swings. Be sure to check the packet for any contra-indications.
Build Your Data
Take this racoon….technique is lacking, but she’s on that darn bike doing it! That takes patience and persistence. Track your progress, collect data and monitor what’s working and what’s not. There is a sneaky belief that change is easy. The truth is, it’s the small things done consistently in strategic places over time that bring progress. How do we know what has changed if we don’t collect the data?
Find Your Why
Always keep this front and central to your recovery. Ask yourself every morning before your get out of bed: I wonder what is possible today? The peace that flows from an abstinent life allows us to re-imagine and re-engineer a new way of being. Remember, change takes practise, little by slow and if all else fails never forget the tale of the tortoise and the hare. Little by slow, one day at a time adds up to progress. Ask your self frequently where you see your self in 10 minutes, 10 days, 10 weeks, 10 months and 10 years forward from now. And take aim. Forever is a long time but remember too, you need only do this til bedtime and don’t worry about tomorrow, it never comes.
Do what you can and forgive yourself the rest.
And then, keep going.
Kate Oliver is a recovery guide, a writer and an adoptee. A lifetime of yo-yo dieting finally ended when she was diagnosed with addiction. There followed a long period of retreat and stabilisation during which time Kate re-trained as a sugar addiction recovery professional under the guidance and supervision of addictions expert Bitten Jonsson RN. Backed by multiple certifications Kate now offers guidance and inspiration to others on their recovery journey through her work at www.sugarsaddictive.com. She is a specialist in relapse prevention and denial management and is trained by Dr Georgia Ede in the use of ketogenic diets for mental health.
