Last week proved to be a difficult one. I had to come face to face with my food diary, and I had to actually turn it in to be reviewed by Dr. Hyman and Lizzy. The great news is that turning it in proved to be so helpful. Dr. Hyman and Lizzy provided great suggestions on how to keep moving forward with no judgment (thanks, guys!). As a result, I tweaked a few things in my diet and I ended up having a very successful week.
But the best part is, I realized that by admitting my struggles, I got wonderful advice and a chance for some self reflection. This was actually more important than the act of turning in my food diary. I was able to be honest and open with those who support and care about me regarding my anxieties that arise from my need for perfection.
As I reflected, I thought, “maybe this is why I’m in the place I am today.” Years of trying to be the perfect dieter, only to fall off the wagon and fail time and time again, took a little piece of me with each failure. I now know from reading The 10-Day Detox Diet and understanding Dr. Hyman’s work, that it wasn’t me or my lack of willpower that made it impossible to reach perfection. It was the food addiction and toxic chemicals in my body that drove me to eat.
The light bulb moment for me was [true story]: we are ALL imperfect.
I know I have years of toxicity to clean from my body. Years of bad habits I have passed on to my family. I know that healing and wellness will take time.
What I also know is that we are ALL running a race (or at least we should be) toward good health and wellness. But as Lizzy pointed out to me, there really isn’t a sprint to the finish line; this is a life-long marathon.
I began to think how true this is in my life and also in my families lives. We are all going to stop and tie our shoes or take a off course jaunt once in a while. This will be perfectly normal because we aren’t perfect. What is important isn’t perfection it is persistence and getting back on course. We plan on staying strong in our commitment to bring healthy back and keep running this marathon one step at a time. The really great part of this is that Kristin and I (separately) learned the same lesson. Read Kristin’s birthday blog to see how perfectly imperfect we all are – and how that’s OK!