Day 6

Good day everyone,

So today is day 6. Still doing very well and feeling great! Days 3-5 I was not feeling the hottest and had lots of headaches going on as well as some belly issues. Not 100% if they're related to change in diet, but I suspect they are based on the changes I've made. It does seem as though that it's all passed now and today I feel fantastic. I'm already noticing a change in how my clothes are fitting (no bloat), my energy level is much higher and I'm sleeping way better.

I spent this past weekend away and had a wonderful time with my good friend Andrea celebrating her 35th Birthday. This weekend, I'm headed on a road trip to Montreal with friends for a dirty-30 of another friend :) Looking forward to a weekend away (again!) and not worried about straying off my plan. It's so fantastic that so many take-out places have nutritional info available. It take the guess work out of trying to estimate what you're eating as I can guarantee, unless you are a registered dietitian- you'll likely be wrong! I'm looking forward to packing a cooler of healthy snacks for the ride and sharing my new found empowerment with my friends :)

Thus far, I must say that everyone who has asked me about the program has been very supportive and willing to listen. Most people seem to think it makes good sense and are happy to hear that it's been positive so far. It's truly amazing how much getting support from your peers will assist in achieving goals; I am 100% doing this for me and no one else, but it's great to have the supplemental support system to boost the outcome even more. Big thanks to all who have been supportive!

Even though I am absolutely not claiming to be any sort of expert, I've always been more than happy to try and help people who are serious about getting healthy. The strange thing is that I've always known better, but just haven't always done better...I think this goes for a large percentage of us. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have the people who have absolutely no idea what's good and what's bad. I find, this is where people get off track big time: they end up following some terrible fad diet (ps. most 'diet' food that is pre-packaged may be 'low fat' however is filled with extra sugar and calories to make up for it and will ultimately end up making the rear even larger-just sayin'!) and sometime will lose a considerable amount of weight quickly, but at what consequence?

After a number of years of looking for 'the easy way out', I have finally admitted to myself that there is no big mystery to becoming a healthier individual. No matter what path you take, it's needs to be a 100% commitment to a lifestyle change to have any long term success. Any plan in which has a definitive end, will most certainly result in what I like to call cup-cake relapse :( I'm not trying burst any one's bubble, rather my goal is to make you realise there is no point to wasting all the hard work you put into something, if the change is not going to last. If you're not fully committed to making the change long-term, then you're not ready to lose weight. Simple as that!

If I may take a moment to vent- It really errks me when someone is super vocal about how fat they are, how unhappy, how tired, how depressed, etc...and always talk about making positive changes, but never takes the first step. Next time you sit to talk to someone about how unhappy you are with your body/life in general and the first thing you think of is after that is getting a Toonie-Tuesday with up sized cola and poutine, think again...this will make you feel good for approximately the 8 minutes it will take to scarf it down. After this step is complete, onto the indigestion/gas and last but not least (drum-roll please)....diarrhea :) All of these glorious things (prizes really!) listed will now be what you're complaining about and you'll be leaving the people around you to deal with it all...even the smell. As a courtesy to yourself and those around you, just think about what you eat, before you eat it and don't be so quick to give into temptation. The longer you're able to go without something that you may think is good now, the better you'll do at not caving in. Eventually you will cave in, but it will serve an educational purpose; what you thought tasted heavenly before will now likely taste like garbage and you'll feel like a garbage truck after you eat it ( full, impacted and ready to drop the load at the landfill..in fact, you may be caught speeding on your way there!). As time passes, you'll find replacement favorites that have been waiting for you to come along, that will actually do your body some good and serve a viable purpose.

I suppose that's enough rambling for one day :) Even with the dreary weather outside, I hope everyone has a lovely afternoon! I'm meeting up with a friend at Onyx for a little martini-treat after work (I saved enoug Points+ to do so). Nothing like a good cocktail and good conversation to end a long work day. Until next time!

Much love,

Leo