My Wellness Journey and What I've Learned So Far
Heads up, we’re going to get real in this post.
Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been on a journey to help heal my gut. I’ve struggled with GI issues for as long as I can remember. When I was a teenager, I was “scoped” and diagnosed with GERD. I was prescribed a pill that was supposed to make the acid reflux stop. Eventually the pill stopped working, and after awhile, it came back and that cycle continued for years. My whole life I’ve dealt with a general level of bloat and discomfort at all times. I just thought that this is how it would always be for me. There was nothing that didn’t make me feel like a ballon that was ready to pop. I was constantly uncomfortable and I had accepted it would always be that way.
There have been periods of time where I focused on my gut health, but it’s always been focused around restriction. I would cut so many items out of my diet that when I started to reintroduce foods back into my diet, I wouldn’t know what was making me uncomfortable because I had cut out so much, I would get frustrated and would give up.
At the beginning of this year, I wanted to commit to focusing on my health overall. I vowed to take care of myself the way I care for others. I started out on a journey to heal my gut that would be sustainable and that I could live with for the rest of my life.
In the spirit of honesty, while losing weight wasn’t the main goal of my journey, it was one of the goals. I believe that focusing on supporting my gut rather than losing weight has truly allowed me to lose weight in a really natural and sustainable way. This journey has been incredibly personal, but I wanted to share a few learnings that have become guides that I’m living by. These notes are specific to me and are not meant to be adopted by everyone! This is not medical advice, but only a glimpse into my personal journey thus far.
Stress was/is my number one enemy | Stress is one of those things that has almost become excepted as part of our culture. It seems like the more stressed we are, the more successful we must be. Throughout my journey, I’ve read a lot about the toll of stress on our bodies, and I’ve started a mediation practice as a result. I’ve started to focus on slow living and low stress, as I’ve realized that no matter what I was doing before, I was never going to see the results I wanted to see when my body was in a state of stress. Eating meals in a rested state and prioritizing my peace has been huge!
Demonizing food is dangerous and counterproductive | In the past, when I would prioritize my health, it usually involved labeling many foods as “bad for me”. I convinced myself that as long as I stayed away from these items, I would be okay and I wouldn’t experience any of the bloat or discomfort. This time around, I didn’t want to be extreme with cutting foods out. I wanted to focus on everything in moderation. What I’ve found works for me is a fat, carb and protein at every meal with a lot of veggies and fruit in between. This has left me feeling the most satisfied and like I’m never denying myself of anything.
Forgetting what I eat as soon as the meal is over | In the past, whenever I would “slip up” and eat something that didn’t make me feel great, I would be so tough on myself. In my mind, it was like starting from scratch every time. I’ve now made a commitment to not thinking about meals after I eat them. Rather, I thank them for whatever they gave me in the moment. If it was a moment of comfort from a soft pretzel or a memory with community over an extra appetizer, I thank it for serving me in the way that it did in that moment, and I continue forward!
These are just a few of my learnings so far. Let me know if this is helpful, and I’ll be helpful to share along the way!