Christmas was been good this year…and free for the most part from old anxieties. I’ve did quite a few things differently this holiday season and left some old tendencies/habits/behaviours behind. As a result I felt quite rested and relaxed and managed to fit in plenty of time to cook up some new treats (bagels, scones and cookies!)
I didn’t over or under eat, though I was able to indulge in a nice variety of foods without any hesitation or feeling of loosing control and there was a serious absence of any subsequent guilt which was been fan-blooming-tastic.
Top hurdles I’ve overcome
- Skipping breakfast in order to save calories for meals during the day.
- Reducing food intake days before or after ones which I know more indulgent food will be consumed.
- Baking sweet treats and not eating them myself.
- Drinking too much and subsequently binge eating (something acceptable for most but not with my history!)
- Not associating how I feel with how I look (biggest hurdle yet I’ve leaped over to date, albeit in slow motion).
It wasn’t all plain sailing and I did deliberately avoid a few situations as I felt they would stir up some angst.
Top hurdle yet to overcome
Stop being so hard on myself! (with regard to everything…I need to learn to let things go).
I read Chelsey’s post about letting things go this year and felt like I was reading about myself. I’m very much a planner and most definitely have what some might describe as a small problem when it comes to control.
I, like Chelsey, tend to fixate on things to the extreme; it resulted in me cooking the topping for a dish I was creating four times over a while back until I eventually surcumbed to the failure and gave up. Now that was one giant leap forward as I don’t usually give in; I did however have to seek reassurance from my Mum that it was infact ok to give up on something. That said I have noted that the difficulty only arises when it comes to things I’m passionate about.
My biggest lesson of 2011 is that every little step counts no matter how big, small or insignificant it may seem at the time. Recovery is a journey, life is a journey…with every lesson comes learning and sure isn’t that what it’s all about anyway, without learning life would be pretty boring…it’s what give us our individual character!
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone and every so often you just need to take that leap!
Happy 2012 everyone! 
(Even if it is a few days late!)
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Those are awesome accomplishments, and baby steps definitely add up over time! They seem so momentous and then one day, you realize they’ve become such a part of you that now you’re 100x healthier and happier!
Thanks Faith! Just read your story; focusing on the good nutritious foods and my love of them has definitely helped with my recovery. There’s no harm in loving food, it’s just loving it in the right way!