 Can I just be honest for a minute?
I'm really frustrated. I'm frustrated with myself. I'm someone who has big goals and dreams for the future. I want to be a life-changer. I want to be healthy and fit. I want to be debt-free. I want to be a speaker. I want to be peaceful. I want to help others achieve their goals. I want to be an inspirer. I want to travel. I want to foster amazing and deeply meaningful relationships. And yet, lately, I've let fear of what others think, negative self-talk, distraction, comparison, and a general feeling of unworthiness overtake me. I've been hiding from the world and myself. I've been hiding from what I love most; connecting with and making a positive impact on others. Fear is a tricky thing. Many times we don't even realize we are acting (or not acting) out of fear. We just don't show up to the thing, don't reach out to the person, and try to fill our mind and our time with distractions. Hell...I'm the queen of hiding from my fear through distractions! My upcoming calendar is proof of that...I'm booked so solid I barely have time to think! So what is the point of this post? Is it to therapuetically vent? Maybe a little... I guess the point is, it's ok to have HUGE intimidating goals. And it's ok to be afraid. It's ok to want to curl up in a ball sometimes. It's ok to let people know you need help coming out of that tiny wound-up ball. It's ok to take baby steps. One thing I've heard several times recently is that it's ok to let fear be a passenger in your car, but it is not ok to let fear drive. Fear may grab the steering wheel for a few seconds when you aren't looking, but try to get mindful and present and recognize what's happening. Recognize that you are not stupid or lazy or damaged or incapable...you are just someone who's learning, step by step, how to overcome fear. Being fearful of the ridiculously awesome life you are planning for yourself doesn't mean you can't have ALL the awesomeness, it just means you need to learn to "do it afraid." You and me, we need to stop hiding. We need to call our "laziness", "lack of motivation", and "lack of happiness and clarity" by its real name: FEAR. I'm so far from perfect...but I'm going to keep trying to step out. I'm going to keep trying to "do it afraid." I'm going to keep shooting for those amazingly awesome goals even when my own mind is trying to sabotage me. Because I can see you, Fear...I know I can't eliminate you completely...I might allow you to ride with me in the back seat...but I am not going to let you drive my car!
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 Sooooo....I've been a little delayed in starting my sugar-free journey, and this is for a couple (good or not-so-good) reasons.
1- I knew when I started I really wanted to be ready. Up until this past weekend, I hadn't given myself adequate time to prep/plan meals. When doing something like quitting sugar, prep and planning is NOT something you want to skip! If you aren't equipped with good choices, you will be tempted to make not-so-good choices. 2-I wasn't feeling mentally "on board". I've done the research, and read a few times that if you aren't truly feeling ready to do something as significant as quit sugar, you shouldn't do it. It's not easy, and for most of us it takes a lot of adjusting. If you are in a mental state where you feel overwhelmed or overly anxious about quitting sugar, it may not be the right time. For a couple weeks I wasn't feeling mentally prepared, but now I am, so I realized it was the right time! Today was my first day going "all-in" and to be honest it wasn't bad at all! The only thing I would adjust with my eating today is eating a little more, as honestly I got a little hungry between lunch and dinner and should have had a little more food earlier in the day. Today my meal plan consisted of: -Bullet Proof Coffee (coffee blended with grass-fed butter, coconut oil & stevia) -Cottage cheese mixed with Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Edamame, and garlic/salt -Shakeology (Greenberry flavor mixed with unsweetened vanilla almond milk & water) -Large handful of salted, roasted almonds -BBQ beef roast with twice baked sweet potatoes (recipe for potatoes here) I didn't give myself enough time to prep my bacon/egg/cheese "muffins" to have as a mid morning snack but I will be prepping those tonight to add more healthy fat/protein to my plan! I think one really important aspect of committing to a meal plan like this is making sure you have things in your plan you truly enjoy eating. For example, I really love my Shakeology and the twice baked sweet potatoes and roast were delicious! When I make sure things like that are a part of my meal plan I don't feel as deprived. So far it was a solid day 1! I am really looking forward to this journey and exploring how my body/mental clarity/energy will change as a result of this healthier nutrition plan. Definitely stay tuned for more updates, and if you want to JOIN me on this journey to feeling healthy, energized, and fit, shoot me an email at stephanie@stephaniepodgor.com and let's chat! There's no need to do this journey alone!  Yes, you read that right! I am choosing to give up sugar in 2017...and hopefully for the rest of my life!
Whyyyyyyy would I subject myself to such pain, you ask? Let me tell you! 1- I have been PAINFULLY addicted to sugar my ENTIRE life. By painfully I mean, it has been a true addiction. An addiction that at countless times in my life I felt powerless to and controlled by. If there is one thing I have learned in my research on personal growth and development, there are few emotions that make us feel crappier than feeling powerless. Feeling powerless means you feel stuck, out of control, and hopeless. I have felt this way for the last 31 years of my life...hopelessly addicted to food (primarily sugary foods!) When I consistently give in to sugar cravings and overeating, I don’t just feel physically uncomfortable and bloated, I feel shame, guilt, and disappointment. These are things I don’t want to feel anymore! I want to love myself and my body enough to stop inflicting pain on myself...I am finally choosing to feel good, both physically and emotionally! 2- I am the heaviest weight I have ever been in my life. Sadly, despite being more focused on health than I’ve ever been in my life, I’ve also reached the heaviest weight of my life. After about 2.5 years of really learning about nutrition and experiencing different types of workouts, I had to honestly ask myself, “What’s going wrong here? How is possible that I eat more healthy foods than ever before and work out more than ever before and I am heavier than ever before??” There are a couple answers to these questions: firstly, I have been seriously slacking on working out since about August of 2016. Of course less working out means less muscle building and calorie burning which means more fat production. Secondly, I have eaten (and OVER-eaten) more indulgent foods than ever before! After taking some time to examine my diet, I feel this weight gain is a combination of excess sugar/processed food intake and my body changing as I get older. I am 100% confident that cutting out sugar will help me start to learn when I am truly full (because I will be eating based on when I am truly hungry and less on cravings) and will help me cut out most processed foods...which will help trim my waistline as well! 3- I want to clear the mental fog and fatigue! If you dive into literally ANY research on sugar, you will hear how excess sugar intake causes fatigue (due to insulin spikes and crashes) and actually causes you to feel mentally foggy, forgetful, or unclear. I cannot count the number of times I’ve said, “I’m just so forgetful!” or “I’m so unorganized!” Even when I get enough sleep I experience “crashes” or excessive tiredness during the day. Sometimes I am shocked at how often I enter a room and forget why I’m there, or how I can write out extensive To-Do lists and forget to check them! I have had several friends and mentors cut out sugar for various lengths of time, and the first thing almost every person says about their experience is they cannot believe how clear and focused they felt after detoxing their bodies from sugar! This increased clarity is a BIG motivator for me! 4- I want to do something that’s tough. I have never committed to something this BIG before. I have never committed to something that most people admittedly won’t even try for fear they’d fail (or be miserable) quicker than you can say “Molten Lava Chocolate Cake”! Yes, I am a bit anxious about cutting sugar out of my diet. Yes, I do have some fear that it will be too hard and I might fail! But I am choosing not to listen to fear. I am choosing to listen to faith. I am choosing to focus on the benefits I will gain from removing sugar from my diet versus the perceived losses. Benefits such as: -A leaner and healthier body -Majorly increased energy -Looking and feeling younger -Feeling empowered by breaking an addiction -Finding ways to get more creative with food -Being able to empower others to take control of their health -A more clear, peaceful, and focused mind I am doing my research as I continue on this journey, and for now I will not be cutting out all fruit. I will continue to consume low-glycemic fruits such as berries, apples, and oranges because they don’t spike your sugar and have a plethora of other benefits such as necessary dietary fiber and antioxidants. I will also be experimenting with replacing sugar with natural sweeteners such as stevia and coconut sugar. Yes, this is a big undertaking and to be honest I am a little nervous! However, I feel I am being led by a force even bigger than me to quit sugar once and for all! Not only for my health, but so I can report back to you! I want to show you even a long-time sugar addict like me can break free from the confines of this physical (and mental!) addiction! Thank you for supporting me on this journey and I’ll keep you updated as to how things are going! I wish all of you a Happy & HEALTHY 2017!  Have you ever had to make a really difficult choice, but you knew it was the right choice?
Have you ever hurt someone’s feelings, but honestly didn’t intend to? Have you ever done something that very few people (if any at all) didn’t understand or want to accept? I have. I’m sure most of you reading this have. And to be honest with you, that’s kind of a good thing. Because if you answered yes to any of these questions that means that at some point in your life you put yourself first, which can be an incredibly difficult thing to do! If you are like me, you may have suffered from a disease I like to call “the Need to Please Disease.” You know, where you walk on eggshells, censor yourself unnecessarily, don’t say what you mean, and go waaaaaay above and beyond for others to the point where you are consistently “putting yourself out.” This disease is SERIOUS. I dare say deadly. Because every time you choose not to be authentically you or make the choices you know in your heart are best for you...you are killing a part of yourself. You are killing a part of your spirit. NO ONE in your life will consistently put you first. I’m sorry to break the news to you, but it’s true. Not your mom, your husband, your BFF, or your favorite barista. This is actually a good thing because hopefully they are doing what I am advising you to do and putting themselves first. But this means that putting yourself first is not only a “good thing to do”, it’s a necessity! Everyone has their own agenda; everyone is attempting to live in a way that will bring them more happiness, security, peace, and love. In doing so, because we are all different and have different needs, they are truly unable to put you first. So how does this relate to intention? Whenever you do something that is meant to bring more happiness, security, peace, and love into your life, your intention is pure. You cannot achieve such positive outcomes if your intention is not pure. So if you make a choice that is right for you, but has a seemingly negative outcome for someone else, you have to remind yourself of your intention. For example, let’s say you got invited to a good friend’s birthday party but cannot attend because you are a bit strapped financially and you promised yourself to “tighten your belt” this month...or you promised yourself you would get extra sleep this weekend because you have been working so hard...or you simply decide you need some more alone time in your life. It is very possible your friend might be upset about or feel offended by your choice, but you have to remind yourself your intention was NOT to offend...it was to honor a commitment you made to yourself. And there is never anything wrong with that. When you focus on your intent versus what other people might be thinking or feeling about your actions, you have more confidence in yourself to keep living in a way that is congruent with your authentic self. Have you ever heard the old adage “What other people think about you is none of your business?” Honestly, it’s true. All that truly matters is what YOU think of YOU. I’m sure you’ve also heard the saying “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Personally, I don’t find this idea to be true. Yes, it IS true that sometimes we intend for something good to happen and something bad happens and things don’t work out, but good and pure intentions can never lead you to "hell". "Hell", in my opinion, is a state that is self-created by living in a way that isn’t in accordance with your beliefs, values, goals and dreams. It’s living your life according to what other people want or expect from you while never loving yourself enough to be true to yourself. THAT’S hell! What I’m trying to say here is, even though people may not want to believe or accept your intention, YOUR INTENTION MATTERS. People may not always agree with your choices (and you need to accept this fact!), but they don’t have to...your choices are about you, not about them! As the wise Jen Sincero says in her brilliant book You Are A Badass, “You are responsible for what you say and do. You are not responsible for whether or not people freak out about it.” Keep your intentions pure, focus on living a life of love, beauty, compassion, peace, and joy, and you will never be headed down the wrong path. Your Intention Matters. YOU matter. Making the choices that are best for you Matters. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise!  Having one of those “blah” days? One of those days where you don’t feel sad or upset per se...but you just feel unmotivated, irritable, and sluggish?
Personally...I’ve been having a bit of a “blah” month. You wouldn’t be able to tell unless you really sat down and talked to me, but there has been a bit of a dark cloud lingering over my head lately. Maybe you are like me and no one can really tell you are feeling low, but you are totally over this feeling and want to do something about it! Amidst the many coping mechanisms I have tried, there is really only one that truly lifts my spirits and helps me to feel more like “me” again. It may seem silly, or even too simple, but it always works, and I feel confident it will work for you too! I want you to: Listen to or read something that helps you learn more about YOU. Yes, I want you to listen to a podcast, a meditation audio, or read a book that helps you get back in touch with the REAL you...the you you are at your core (which is NOT an unmotivated, irritable, and sluggish bump on a log!) Trust me, I have drowned the day’s woes in a bottle of wine (or several beers), a 6-hour Breaking Bad marathon, or scrolling my Facebook news feed until I have reached last week’s updates….but none of those things actually make me feel better. They might bring me temporary relief, but once I am done with those activities the “blue” feeling comes back again. The reason these activities are not long-lasting solutions is because they are only distractions, not activities that help you feel your feelings, address what’s going on, and move forward. Unfortunately, the only way to actually break through your blues is to address what’s causing them in the first place. (I know, I know...that is the last thing you want to hear right now, but bear with me!) Take a minute to really sit and be with yourself. Be with your thoughts. What has been going on lately that might be causing these not-so-sunshiney feelings? If that is too broad of a question, ask yourself: -When I start feeling low, where am I? Home? Work? In the car? Some place else? -Is there anyone I’ve been talking to lately I don’t usually talk to? -What have I been watching, listening to, or reading lately? -Have I done anything for myself lately, or have I just been doing things for others? -How does my body feel? Am I achy? Tired? Feeling in general run-down? Once you think you may have identified the main cause (or causes) of the problem, it will be a lot easier to address it! -If you are feeling stressed about money you could do a meditation on abundance. -If you are feeling anxiety about a relationship you could read an article or a book about building positive relationships. -If you are in general feeling anxious about life you can listen to a podcast about how to create a positive mindset and get motivated. If you are anything like me, you are only willing to sit with negative thoughts for a very limited time. You will binge watch shows, have a few extra drinks, and get lost in other people’s lives and issues...but only for so long. YOU have to decide when you are done distracting yourself for temporary relief and when you are ready to truly move forward. I’m not saying it’s always easy to make that choice, but I promise you the new and uplifting messages you will be filling your head with (from your book, video, audio, or podcast) will actually make you feel excited and energized! Why? Because personal growth material is ALL ABOUT YOU! And what’s everyone’s favorite subject?? THEMSELVES! That’s not narcissistic, it’s just the truth! ;-) So when you channel that self-focus into something that helps you grow as a person, you can’t help but feel a bit revitalized! In general, we feel most alive when we are learning, growing, and/or creating something. Sadly, 6 hours of Breaking Bad has never helped me create something or grow as a person, and I have a sneaking suspicion it won’t do that for you either. But learning about a new way to become happier, healthier, wealthier, more peaceful, more patient, more loving, or more confident will always light a little bit of a fire under your behind and get you moving! So, when you’re ready, stop distracting yourself and start loving on yourself! Love yourself enough to come up with real solutions that will get you out of your funk and back to feeling fabulous. Because the bottom line is, you deserve to feel fabulous! And your fabulosity will spread and help others feel fabulous! As the wise woman Marianne Williamson once said, “as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” It’s so true. For better or worse, our attitude rubs off on others. I am choosing to do the work to get out of my funk right now. Not just for me, but for you too. I hope very soon you are ready to do the same. You deserve it. <3 |
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