Sunday, July 5, 2015

July 5th, 2015 My Thing

July 5th, 2015 My Thing

I love cooking. I didn't realize how much I truly enjoyed cooking until I started this turnaround from relapse/regain. Having mom with me for a few days gives me an opportunity to share my culinary favorites with her! So far, her reviews have been 100% raves! (Of course, she's my mom--so, naturally she would rave no matter what I serve).

I took mom to the YMCA with me this afternoon. She walked the indoor track while I did my weights and elliptical. The timing was perfect. I finished, refilled my water--wiped down my machine and made my way over to the track as she was finishing her walk. We were both clearly drenched, proof positive we were working, well! Watching mom increase her level of self-care has been a wonderful thing to witness. It's beautiful.

In the spirit of the holiday weekend, we enjoyed BBQ chicken and melon for dinner, along with my signature sweet potato/zucchini/red onion dish! This dinner just looks like a 4th of July kind of meal...or, a July 5th kind of meal. It was delicious!

Every day, I have a list of goals: Maintain my calorie budget (subject to change every three weeks as I work my way through finding my maintenance groove), maintain my abstinence from refined sugar, drink a minimum 64oz of water, exercise if it's an exercise day, rest and be okay with it if it's not, maintain my live-Tweet food and exercise stream, be active in support--giving and receiving, and write this daily update. These are my fundamental elements.

I must actively maintain a high level of awareness about how I'm feeling and how those emotions/feelings affect my resolve. Life happens. It's not going to be smooth sailing every day. My awareness focuses on keeping my life stream and fundamental element stream running parallel. If I allow the streams to cross, that's when trouble starts. 

I have a friend who has nearly three decades of sobriety from alcohol. Over the years, he's endured divorce, job changes, extreme financial stress, the death of his parents and other close loved ones. He also got re-married and started a family within these nearly three decades. He's also had serious health challenges and even a child with a serious and chronic health condition. And still, through it all--he hasn't broken his sobriety. I admire him. 

I have many friends who have done the same thing with their recovery from food addiction.

My "thing" isn't alcohol. It's food and more specifically, refined sugar/refined & simple carbs.

My goal, ultimately, each day--is to answer the question: What if I applied the same reverence--the same non-negotiable recovery practices, to my thing? 

Suddenly I can't say, oh well, I've had a rough day so I'll treat myself. Or, I'm under too much stress to take extraordinary care. Or, I've done well, I deserve to binge, now. Or, I'm too emotional to handle this right now.

 Non-negotiable.

It's that important to me.

If life becomes overwhelming on any particular day--and it keeps pushing, and suddenly I decide sacrificing my fundamental elements is what I need in order to cope... then I'll be in trouble.

If ever I start making my fundamental elements so complicated that it's no longer enjoyable and fun and I start sacrificing my life in order to maintain them... I'll be in trouble.

It's a balance. It's a groove. And it's different for each of us. 

My success each day doesn't depend on a scale number, or nice fitting clothes or anything superficial. My success each day is all mine, IF I maintain my fundamental elements--and I make the balance between life and these elements, important.

And gratitude. I must pause to give thanks and gratitude each day. I'm blessed and immensely grateful.

My Tweets Today:
























Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
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8 comments:

  1. ArismumJuly 6, 2015 at 3:01 AM

    Wow, Sean! This is a very timely post for me. I've been on holiday and now I need to repair the damage! lol You see, my thing IS alcohol. Like you with sugar, I can't regulate myself, so it's all or nothing. And now it's going to be nothing. I know I feel better when I'm not drinking (I've done it before) and I sleep better. So when I start to struggle, I'm going to open this blog post and re-read it. I've got about 20 pounds left to lose (and no I didn't put them all on while I was away ha ha!) and I know these are going to be tough to shift.

    It's taken a couple of days, but I've read all the posts I missed while I was away, and you've been busy! Many congratulations on reaching maintenance - I'm so glad you're going to continue blogging and I'm looking forward to reading how you manage this period. Lesley.

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    1. Sean AndersonJuly 8, 2015 at 12:47 AM

      Lesley, thank you for your incredible support! Glad you're back!
      I'm so glad this post was powerful to you--resonating deeply. It makes sense, doesn't it?
      Lesley, I'm looking forward to the road ahead and writing about it all the way! :)

      Delete
  2. CARLAJuly 6, 2015 at 4:41 AM

    OMGOSH YES YES YES ON THE FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS
    I didnt know how to phrase it---you nailed it.

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    1. Sean AndersonJuly 8, 2015 at 12:47 AM

      Carla!! Thank you!! Fundamental elements, indeed!

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  3. AnonymousJuly 6, 2015 at 9:29 PM

    Extra great blog Sean that I REALLY needed right now; especially "If life becomes overwhelming on any particular day--and it keeps pushing, and suddenly I decide sacrificing my fundamental elements is what I need in order to cope... then I'll be in trouble."

    Dede

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    Replies
    1. Sean AndersonJuly 8, 2015 at 12:48 AM

      Dede--I'm so glad that resonated deeply with you! Thank you!!!

      Delete
  4. #fatfreefloozyJuly 6, 2015 at 9:59 PM

    I'm with everyone else, this is a fantastic way of looking at the journey!

    ReplyDelete

I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment. Thank you for your support!