Three weeks ago I decided, and was determined to make a very important lifestyle change. It was prompted because I was desperate to see if I could control the severity of my headaches that have plagued me for years. I felt if I tried a new diet, I might possibly be able to find some relief. I suffer from headaches on a daily basis. I wake up with them and move through my day managing their severity. They have really affected my life in every way.
I was complimenting one of my girlfriends on what great shape she was in. She not only looked fit, but vibrant and rested. I was curious as to what her regime was. She proceeded to tell me how she has cut sugar out, drinks protein shakes, exercise’s at least five days a week and only eats 3 meals a day, without snacking in between. Whoa. Now this didn’t sound appealing to me since I’m a fly by the seat of my pants exerciser and eater, but that evidence that she feels incredible was enough fort me. At this point in my life, I would do anything to help relieve the daily headaches that keep me suffering.
Sugar is my vice, my addiction and my comfort. I literally could eat cookies, and chocolate all day long. Yes it’s a problem and I want to stop this crazy addiction, because I know how unhealthy it is. I also think this could be one of the main issues causing my headaches.
Starting off I was a little nervous, actually terrified. I was worried about only eating three meals a day and not being able to snack, since I live on snacks. I was worried that I would be getting headaches because my body would be hungry. I was basically worried about having to change and commit.
Well, I did, and let me tell you that during the three weeks of doing this “lifestyle” change, I did not get a single headache. Miraculous.
I have worked out five days a week, sometimes six and that’s not easy for me. I do not like to workout and I also don’t have a lot of time to do it. I made a conscious effort to make myself exercise. In the beginning it was thirty minutes. I did the bare minimum just to get myself going. After a few days I added in soul cycle, the Santa Monica stairs and various exercises. I was feeling good and actually not feeling so tired in the mornings.
I have been eating super healthy, but I did recognize that I think I have been deficient in protein. I have kept a diary of the foods I eat daily so I could see if anything triggered my headaches. I cut out gluten, dairy and soy. Throughout my three weeks I did get a few cheat meals and when I had those cheat meals I always felt terrible after as well as it would carry into the next day. I know it’s because I would eat cake or a cookie that wasn’t gluten free. I did have sushi with some of those amazing sauces but there was soy in them. Again I did not feel well afterwards.
I can say with certainty, that I feel better than I have in years. I have more energy than ever. The struggle has been kicking my sugar addiction. I have cut it out substantially, but not fully.. I have also been able to get rid of this little pooch that I have had around my tummy. When I have sugar my body just holds onto it and places that fat in all areas of my body. My body leans out quickly when I do not have sugar, gluten, soy or dairy. I’m not telling you to cut all those things out, but I have to for my health. These types of foods contribute to my headaches. I also realized that I would fluctuate so much in weight based on if I had sugar vs. not. It truly is the white devil.
Now that I have experienced this change, I am continuing, because nothing tastes better than good health. I will continue to workout at least five days a week, even if it’s only thirty minutes. I will continue to monitor what I am eating, and work on a remedy for my sugar addiction. I love sweets, so I will never fully give them up, but I’m moving closer to loving my health more than that cookie. I’m not there yet though. I think it’s a 60/40 split in favor of the cookie. I’m going to keep trying though!
