Keep listening to your body.
A couple weeks ago I took my health into my own hands which for me meant conquering a vegan diet.
A couple weeks ago I felt the best I ever remember feeling after ditching the dairy products I am allergic to, and the fat containing animal products and fried foods that were upsetting my gallbladder and digestive system in general.
A couple weeks ago I left everything I loved in the world of the eating in hopes of becoming ‘healthier’…
… and it worked.
Ugh! It worked!
Yes, a huge part of me hoped eating mostly vegetables wouldn’t make me feel better. That way I could happily live out my life surviving on cheesecake, pizza and chicken wings since eating healthy just didn’t work for me.
But it worked and it worked so well. Well enough for me to seriously consider making the switch permanent, the no dairy part at least…
Finding the right diet for your body.
The first time I tried a ‘diet’ I was eleven years old. Eleven years old and I was very aware of my pudgy body thanks to many inconsiderate people in my life and mean classmates that I couldn’t distance myself from. I know this isn’t a revelation, this is eerily common for many women in my generation, and the generation before me and sadly the generation after mine.
At eleven I wasn’t worried about eating healthy and feeding my growing body what it needed. I wanted to be skinny and petite like my fellow female classmates because being bigger and taller than most of the boys in sixth grade wasn’t cool.
Since being that insecure eleven year old I used diet as a verb; something I did to fit into a bridesmaid dress, get ready for summer, punish myself because I gained five pounds, or to fit in with all my skinny friends.
Now, being an older, wiser, and much more secure twenty-seven year old, I correctly use diet as the noun that it is intended to be. My diet is crafted to fuel my body, prevent disease, and promote healthy toilet time. And this has taken me years to figure out what is right for my individual body and accept it.
Now that you know better, do better.
I was ten when I was allergy tested. I have known most of my life I have a dairy allergy, specifically to whey protein, and it is in everything worth eating… and I have ignored that most of my life. Until trying a vegan diet, I didn’t know how good my body was capable of feeling.
After the last two weeks of being back on crack (cheese) I am now fully aware of how shitty my body is capable of feeling. I don’t want this to be my normal anymore.
So I am customizing a diet just for me and my lovely body. As little dairy as possible but I get eggs and bacon back so what is there to complain about, right? Very little fried and processed foods to keep my gallbladder happy and a crap ton of vegetables to help me crap. I also found that it’s easy to get gallbladder supplements online so I’m going to go on a cleanse just to flush out my system and make myself feel even healthier.
I can do that. So can you! You can stop dieting to fit into something, whether it be clothing or society. Figure out what works for your body, not your cravings or insecurities.
It. Will. Not. Be. Easy.
But it will be so worth it.
