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Practice Makes Perfect….or close enough

NEW YEAR, SAME ME? 

Yes. However only after a butt load of work, practice, and patience to change the old me.

So, the other day I talked about NOT jumping in with New Year’s Resolutions that involved sugar detoxes, cleanses and diets that promised 3 weeks to a flat belly.

Please, don’t get me wrong! I’m not opposed to cleanses or detoxes. 

Three weeks to a flat belly?! I guess it depends on how “not flat” the belly is in the first place and why it’s important for it to be flat in 3 weeks. Whole other topic. Whole other issue. Not very realistic.

I am all in favour of reducing sugar and processed foods in my diet, setting aside time to rest and improve my digestion, and supporting my body’s natural detoxification processes. 

  However, what doesn’t work for me are cleanses, detoxes, and diets that are REACTIVE, instead of ACTIVE. 

What is the motivation for a cleanse, diet, or detox? What will it change? 

Is it REACTIVE? As in: “Oh my gosh, I totally fell off the wagon, pigged out, threw in the towel……etc…. and now I need to diet/detox/cleanse to undo all the damage.”

And then what happens after the 10, or 21, or 30 days? Or on day 5 when you walk past Cinnabon in the mall. Can you white knuckle through it and beyond?

Or is it ACTIVE? Is it an active part of a healthy lifestyle commitment? Are we eating, or learning to eat, a balanced diet throughout the weeks and months so that: 

A) we don’t feel a need for a detox, and/or

B) a  “cleanse” is part of that balanced lifestyle as we get to know and listen to our bodies, not a hardcore change on January 1st. 

I’m not saying you won’t benefit from a reactive sugar detox or cleanse. Anytime we reduce a toxic load or give our digestion a rest we benefit! 

I’m also not saying it’s impossible for these New Years diet resolutions to stick for some people. 

I’m only speaking from my experience. Mine wasn’t New Years related – it was every Monday. Or every time I over ate, fell off the wagon for a few days and beat myself up and tried to follow the next quick fix diet. 

However, only 8% of New Year’s resolution are successful. I’d guess that percentage is lower in diet related resolutions. 

Changing 1 thing at a time has an 80% success rate. 

I actually find it interesting that we’re even talking about this. We live in a society of such excess that we are needing to teach ourselves moderation and balance. 

Moderation and Balance. Applies to everything, doesn’t it?

In my case I also had to learn to trust my body’s incredible ability to heal and find it’s own balance to really be free from the control food had over my life, and come to a point where it’s just food. I choose, and 90% of the time they are good choices. It’s second nature by now. I no longer have a wagon to fall on or off of.

Freedom365 

For me, it didn’t happen from a sugar detox or cleanse. 

This is why I said in my first sentence “but only after a butt load of work, practice, and patience to change the old me”.

Long term change requires more than short term effort.

Maybe some of you can relate.

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