Health is not a number on a scale
Your health is not the number on the scale when you weigh yourself and it certainly is not your BMI.
It’s about the way you feel and whether or not you can do the things you want to do. For me, being healthy is about how I feel before, during, and after I eat and whether or not I can comfortable engage in the activities I enjoy.
Since losing 130 lbs., my idea of health had transformed. At over 300 lbs, health meant comfortably jumping onto an airplane, grabbing the seat I was assigned, and quickly and easily buckling my seatbelt. (Yes, that’s a thing.) However, now, health is understanding how food affects my body.
It is also looking at a map and deciding which hike I want to take based on what’s on the trail vs. the distance of the trail. I hope I’m making sense because that’s really a big deal.
Being healthy is more about the way I feel and whether or not I can fully engage in the activities I find interesting rather than a specific fad diet or program.
Find what works for you
I’m a little hesitant to share my eating plan because what works for me and what makes sense to me isn’t necessarily right for anyone else. And that’s okay! I will share, but please understand that I’m not implying that this is right for anyone else. I’m simply sharing what works for me and what I’ve learned and am continuing to learn.
And believe me, I’m still learning. Even though I am light years ahead of where I was 10 years ago, I am well aware that I have way more to learn. My nutritional knowledge is for the most part self taught based on experimental experiences.
Let's talk about what works
While I won’t climb on a soapbox and tell you the specific program you should use, I will share one that is worth researching because for me and others I know, it was life changing. Again, remember that I’m only sharing that this is what has been beneficial to me.
Whole 30 is the program that changed my life. Before you roll your eyes and click the x, hear me out.
Was Whole 30 one of the most radical things I had ever done at the time? Absolutely.
Ten years later, is it still one of the most radical things I’ve done? Oh yes!
Did I struggle at times during the 30 days? You betcha.
Did I have uncomfortable physical withdrawals while detoxing from sugar ? You have no idea.
Were there times that I was seconds away from giving up and quitting? There were several.
Would I do it again? I have! Many times- and I will continue to do periodically do what I call going back to the basics and doing a Whole30 just to remind my mind how food choices affect my body.