Gretchen Rubin explains abstaining in a clear and easy to understand video, no sugars no grains for the WIN!

About 3 years ago, I realized I needed to abstain from processed sugars and grains. Sugars and Grains trigger my brain to want to binge eat and I feel down right horrible, addicted, and just messed up, generally. I believe I was born this way. Not my fault, but my responsibility to find my own way- food sober as I define it.

The only expert I am is on myself.. Everyone is a little different in what they can and cannot eat. If you can figure that out, that's a pretty awesome gift.

Here's a great video, explaining abstaining in an easy to understand way- from Gretchen Rubin (author of The Happiness Project). She describes abstaining in a 3 minute video. Be sure to check out her books and subscribe to her youtube channel, too!

Link to the Video is here

1,000,000 thank you's to Gretchen Rubin for explaining it so well. I might guess that abstainers are fewer in the eating area.

What is working now: (Heaven)
When I abstain, I feel freedom, peace, happiness, free from most binge urges, alive, engaged, like myself, and healthy, creative, able to use my gifts. Over all  "I feel better".  It didn't happen overnight, a few days/weeks of withdrawal symptoms.

What did not work in the past: (Hell)
I used to try to live life as a moderate eater.(processed sugars and all grains) I was a square peg trying to fit myself into a round hole. I felt trapped, conflicted, unhappy, hooked, binging a lot on lots of foods, numb, disengaged, someone that was not me. I was sick.  I stopped taking photos- my greatest gift.

I FEEL BETTER when I abstain.  The act of abstaining sometimes prompts others to bucket that behavior calling it : orthorexia,  disordered, obsessive, too restrictive, unhealthy. They could be right- for themselves. I'm sure it's true for many people. But not for me...

What the heck!!!???    I'm none of those things, in my opinion. I FEEL BETTER. All projections of another person's opinion or experience onto me, I don't need to take it with me. I brush it off and walk away - literally, figuratively, etc. Other people's opinions are none of my business. I FEEL BETTER.

I used to get called all the obese names when I was an obese kid in the 70's and 80's. It's laughable that the small act of abstaining from a few foods could invoke name calling, projection, and tisk, tisking.   Just shows you that a good self-esteem is critical. A thick skin, good sense of self, and doing what is important to me- abstaining, living a life that I see fit. It's all good. Because I FEEL BETTER.

A huge shout out to all the Paleo and Primal crowd (where going grain free and processed sugar much of the time is healthy), to the #NSNG crowd where you can be a " cool kid" when you go No Sugars, No Grains. For all my sisters and brothers in food addiction recovery that must abstain to remain sane- you are not alone. And to my bloggy friends who also abstain- you know who you are! Best tool for long term weight maintenance in my tool box.

If you are a moderate eater, bravo to you. I totally get it if abstaining would make you sick or unwell.  I understand.  Don't do it. Do what works for you.  I feel better when I abstain. I'm alive today because I do abstain.  I think we can all live together pretty well.

Stepping off the soap box now... that post has been in my head for weeks. Feels good to get my thoughts out, and the video was a great motivator.

No one right way in the Koi Pond- just the one that gets you to where you are going!