Valentine's Day 2015- the New Normal- 3rd food sober celebration

Valentines Day 2015

The New Normal.

This will be my 3rd food sober Valentines day after 40 binge induced frenzied years.

 Valentine's Day does not have to mean stuffing sugar in your pie hole, if you choose something different.  You can choose differently, if that fits your goals better. Choosing is Powerful.

Give my power away to a box of candy? No. Nope.


If you choose sugar, that's fine, I hope you'll own it. Some people can eat sugar sometimes. I cannot. It's not a bad thing, just different.   It is what it is. YES, abstaining sometimes is is a  drag. MANY things in life are a drag.  I'll be at my goal weight today, tomorrow, and higher power willing, in the next week, month, year.   Owning my own choices ensures I get what I get and I don't throw a fit. It's not always rosy. The outcome is worth it, IMO.

Once I got off sugars and grains (#NSNG for the WIN!), all my holiday's had to change up, in a good way.

3rd Food Sober Valentine's day. 

 Showing up to eat the traditional chocolate and binge eat those little hearts with the sayings on them was no longer an option. I had 40 years of the old, but had to start over the next 40 years of the new normal.


New Normal:

1. Time with family, doing things we love- I took a vacation day to spend with my daughter. We spent time shopping, eating out, spending time outside. Celebrated Valentine's Day on the 13th this year.

• Breakfast, I ate at home while my teen slept in
• Lunch was awesomeness. Paleo-ish lunch out at Urban Plates. Cafeteria style, customizable, local ingredients. YES! Farm to Plate indeed. I don't eat out often, but when I do, I like places that fit into my food template and give back to the local economy. (San Diego Peeps take note)
• Shopping at the second hand clothing store- 70% off. Whoa! Wow!
• Exploring the most awesome library in Encinitas. WOW, I sat on a lounge chair on the patio while catching up on magazine reading.(see photo below)
• Gardening at home with the teen
• Sunset walk on the beach
• Podcasts.
• Blogging-   mind your hs-CRP and your risks get lowered. BOOM!!!  Heart Health, hs-CRP really, really matters.  It's silent, not looking and being BOSS of your inflammation levels is a missed opportunity- IMO.. HUGE  heart risk decrease here. Root causes. Find them, mind them.
• Teen did her teen stuff. 

  

  Encinitas Library, North County San Diego

2. I ate Paleo-ish food template

• protein
• natural fats
• carbs from mostly non starchy veggies
• spices- cinnamon, sea salt, Italian spice mix , garlic sea salt

3. I took time for myself. I took a vacation day.

4. I connected to family and friends and neighbors.

 Notice that Valentine's Day didn't  involve sugar. candy, "indulgences"-(How many binge episodes did THIS excuse  launch for me during 40 years? 100's if not 1000's. ).  My food addiction does not take a day or a meal or a holiday off.
If you are abstaining, please know you are not alone. Valentine's Day does not have to mean stuffing sugar in your pie hole. You can choose to make it mean something else. Choose what works. If you do eat sugar and it doesn't wreck you, awesome! For me, I choose food sober. 3rd year strong.
Onward.

What didn't work in the past:

1. Eating out and eating fast food or junk food to "celebrate". Not doing things I truly loved.

2. Buying massive amounts of chocolate and 4 boxes for a dollar conversation hearts. It's cheap! It's Valentine's Day. Normal People have candy.. why not me..... Very much a "user" mentality.

3. I ate the Standard American Diet with lots of SUGAR- lots of cereal, whole grain waffles, GOD FORBID- fiber one bars. just total health washed junk foods. I thought the heart healthy symbol meant if I whole grained harder, I too would have awesome cardiac health. The people on the commercials do! WW told me I would. There was a price for not thinking for myself. I had very much a time penalty for all the GI distress.

4. I was too busy binge eating to connect much.

Last year's Valentine's post from 2014- same old, same old!

Alrighty! Who's owning their 2015 Valentines choices this year? If you abstain from sugars and grains, please know your are not alone. Ownership = love.