Today's Daily Positive Thought :)

kristibluefood

Today's Daily Positive Thought:

WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR DECISIONS TO BE HEALTHY, DON'T BE ASHAMED OR TRY TO HIDE THOSE DECISIONS!

When I used to yo-yo diet, I was ashamed of the fact that I was dieting and tried to hide it. I knew I needed to lose weight, but I didn't want that to be public knowledge - even though it was obvious from my ever-growing waistline. Every time I tried to eat even one healthy bite of food, I was interrogated: "What? Are you on a DIET?" The D-word was always said with such disdain. Like the word meant I was doing something so terrible I needed to be publicly shamed. So, I ate healthy in private and junk in public because it was more acceptable and people were less critical. Eventually, eating unhealthy food in public led me back to also eating unhealthy food in private, and so the yo-yo cycle repeated. Now, I am vocal about my health, nutrition, and fitness and instead of being bullied, I'm making ripples with my friends and family! People are encouraged by health instead of defeated by it. My coworkers are all eating less meat, healthier foods, smoothies, and they all agree that I am responsible for their positive changes, which feels amazing. Anytime you want to feel better about yourself, HELP SOMEONE ELSE! It’s an instant mood booster! I’m no longer vegan, but I was for the last year and a half. When my family found out I made the decision to be vegan, they embraced it and respected me for it - something I never expected! They joked with me about it sometimes, but only in a loving family way - not in a bullying way. And towards the end of my veganism, even though we were on vacation, a time when we usually all pig out together, I made massaged kale salad with lots of veggies for lunch the first day and we all ate it and loved it. My mom bought me a box of Amy's vegan burgers to eat while they had hot dogs, my brother in law got excited to cook and eat the dry lentils I brought because he was shocked at their nutritional stats (15g fiber, 13g protein, and 50% Iron in 1/4C? I've NEVER seen a food with this nutritional profile before!"), and my stepdad and brother in law and I all drank Shakeology together every morning. They even all expressed interest in eating at a raw vegan restaurant that I found in a neighboring beach town, so we traveled there together and ate a yummy lunch that day! Do you remember a time when you used to either hide your weightloss efforts or gave them up in order to avoid questioning or ridicule? How is your current lifestyle different from that time? Please be empowered by your decision to get healthy and stay healthy, not defeated by it