I am not going to lie to you: change is hard. We all say we want change but so often when change actually starts to happen, we experience resistance. We really do like things the same and when change starts to occur, we become uncomfortable. Only about 8% of people are successful in achieving their New Year’s Resolutions but your chances for success are higher when you work with someone. I am here to help you achieve your goals. Whether it is eating better, staying healthy, losing weight, saving money, learning something new or spending more time with loved ones, you can achieve all of this through food. Over the next few weeks, I will share some thoughts and secrets for success. This week is all about change.
Read my story on How to Lose Weight by eating more and get recipes here
Over the past year, my husband and I have made several changes as we figure out this new life with baby and now budding toddler. It seems every day is a change and a challenge but, with that, there are also several wonderful joys and blessings that come with these growing pains. One of the biggest changes for our family was changing my diet to eliminate gluten and refined sugars.
At first this was really hard, ok extremely hard. The first few months, I was so tired, hungry and frustrated as I was learning how to cook to incorporate this lifestyle. So many favorites and easy “good foods” like jarred pasta sauce were now off limits. I kept looking at all this food that I “couldn’t have.” It really didn’t get better until I did a complete pantry purge and got rid of all these non-acceptable foods. Then, I filled my house with all the things I could have.
This was a profound moment and a mind shift for me. Instead of thinking about and looking at all the food I could not have, I now had so many options of all the things I could have. It was easier from this point and I have had a great time discovering wonderful new healthier alternatives to the things I love.
The trick is to focus on what you can have not what you can’t. Subconsciously, we will always want what we can’t have. My focus shifted very strongly toward all real, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods. I am actually eating more food now than I ever did before, but I weigh significantly less. I am consuming only high quality calories that my body can process easily. It sounds easy but it is true, eat less junk and more real food.
One of my favorite alternatives is cauliflower, as I have found this to be a very versatile vegetable. It can be used in so many ways from pizza crust
(Cauliflower Pizza Crusts)
and “bread” for grilled cheese to a great substitute for mashed potatoes. Try out this recipe for mashed cauliflower next time you are craving starchy mashed potatoes.
(Mashed Cauliflower)
With all change, there will always be an uncomfortable sticking point that we must push through to see benefits and experience the rewards of our work. I did learn how to cook differently and create simple ways to eat real food without wheat or any refined sugars. Focusing on just these two things, I now sleep better, look better and have more energy than I ever had before. Now I am not saying that everyone should or needs to change their diet to see results, but I do highly recommend looking at how much processed or store-bought food you consume vs. homemade. Homemade alternatives will almost always be a healthier option for you as they will contain less salt, fat, sugar and other chemical preservatives to keep them fresh and tasting good over long periods of time. Start small and notice what comes up for you.
People often ask if I will go back to eating wheat and my answer is I don’t think so. You see the thing with real change is that it is not will power that is driving me. I don’t have the attitude that this is something “I have to do.” I have created ways that are easy, fun and now a sustainable part of my everyday life.
If things are hard we often don’t stick to it over long periods of time. I don’t feel deprived, I feel healthy, alive and refreshed. I can help you do the same. With the Impressions At Home System™ you can bypass the simple mistakes and take the fast track. Working with an expert can help show you the easiest way to achieve your desired results and keep you accountable for what you say you want. Together, you can be happier, healthier, more organized, save money and so much more creating benefits for the whole family.
Contact me today to talk more about what program is best for you.
For complete, hands-on guidance to make cooking, entertaining and everyday meals simpler, the Impressions at Home System™ is designed to create confidence in the kitchen, improve culinary skills and promote a healthy lifestyle. There are three programs to choose from to fit your specific needs. All three programs start with a solid foundation to set up for success. You will receive the Confident Cook Assessment to gauge where you are so we can maximize your current skills and overcome your biggest struggles. Programs include The Confident Cook, Effortless Entertainer and Meals Made Easy.