You’re Generous, but You’re Feeling Deprived

Maybe you have to fill yourself up first

“Warning: Will induce serious cravings.” – Delish

I hope my story will bring an intense craving for radiance, energy, and health.

I have a consuming passion for everything about food. Although, I’m tired of the battle to have or not to have something to eat. Are you?

My weight has got me thinking about diets and the effects they have on some of us. Nothing about food is sinful except gluttony in my book. But so is lying, cheating, stealing, and idleness, but they aren’t on my mind every second of the day.

I’m writing this to share my story as inspiration to anyone who might be struggling too. The new year brought a strong desire to lose weight, and the word I chose for motivation is time.

So, I believe it’s about time I finally throw all my dieting goals out the window, along with my motivation to listen to the same sad story in my mind any longer.

Some of you might hear the nasty story that rattles off automatically after eating an indulgence or overeating.

Perhaps some of you who have dieted for ten, twenty, or thirty-plus years know the story by heart. It’s not even worth repeating. It is nothing but fiction, and I’m over it!

“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.”

— C.S. Lewis

In the past, my weight has only been an issue whenever I was pregnant, which brought me two wonderful gifts in the end.

Nonetheless, my battle with breast cancer also caused me to gain weight. I’m tired of lugging around the aftermath of my cancer.

I realized today that my cancer has also brought life in a new way. I’m still alive! I want to live it cancer-free and carefree, but not reckless.

I have a strong desire to be radiant, energetic, healthy, and able to wear jeans comfortably again. I’m not throwing in the towel on achieving these desires, but I’m letting go of everything that resembles dieting as a goal.

I want to enjoy food again in moderation without feeling guilty. It’s not like I’m going to sit down with a whole thirteen by nine sheet cake and jump in or anything. I’m not going to continue to deprive myself or feel guilty any longer because in doing so, I still have not lost weight!

Instead, I’m going to start feeling radiant, energetic, healthy and maybe buy a new pair of skinny jeans as my new – New Year’s Resolution. Might you join me?

“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.”

– Edward de Bono

Radiant

Being radiant is projecting light and a glow around you. It is living confidently and happy in love.

I feel some days I do live radiantly, yet others not so much. It depends on which person looks in the mirror in the morning.

I’m choosing to be creative before my feet hit my slippers in the morning. I need to have the right mindset before even opening the blinds or entering the bathroom.

I will read an attribute, mantra, and scripture upon getting out of bed. It will need to be quick, but something is better than nothing.

Affirmation:

“I am radiant and light.”

Mantra:

“I am love, and I can make significant decisions bringing radiance into my life.”

Scripture:

“They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed.”

– Psalm 34:5

These are three life-changing and radiant generating statements I will be using before looking in the mirror in the future. Change is usually gradual, yet this will bring with it an abundance of radiance.

I’m willing to make an effort even though change is never easy. I hope to leave dieting behind in the chrysalis and emerge into the lovely butterfly we were created to be. If only I could see how beautiful my wings are, or can I?

Energetic

If being more energetic is a craving of yours too, it’s going to take some work. I have a dozen up my sleeve, but small changes every day is a beautiful start.

A dozen stylish energizers:

• Take power naps
• Splash cold water on your face
• Smell some citrus
• Exercise once day-to-day
• Eat when hungry
• Listen to music
• Get dressed daily
• Assess how you feel hourly
• Open the blinds
• Take a vitamin
• Embrace the outdoors
• Drink plenty of water

Everyone is different so trying new things requires getting comfortable doing them. Starting slow by adding one new behavior while building up your own list is valuable.

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”

– Maya Angelou

Healthy

Nobody wakes up choosing to be unhealthy. However, through obsessions with certain habits, some undesirable results can follow.

Even so, we can do everything to the best of our abilities and still come down with an illness, disease, or even cancer, as I did. We don’t choose cancer – cancer chooses us.

Regardless, some behaviors and foods fuel our bodies and make us feel more vibrant than others.

Are you aware of the foods that make you feel radiant, energetic, and healthy? We might know which foods make us feel alive, but we aren’t always choosing foods based on these factors. Sometimes we will decide based on our cravings alone.

Periodically we are going to overdo it on the foods that leave us feeling unwell or unmotivated, but that doesn’t mean we are horrible. It doesn’t mean we are undeserving. It doesn’t mean we can’t try again at the very next meal or make an energetic move to feel better.

I over ate some chips today, but I’m going to choose to do a walking video instead of dwell on the not-so-great way I’m feeling.

Changing the all-or-nothing thinking won’t be easy, but putting on a nice tight pair of skinny jeans soon will be worth it, or maybe loose would feel even better!

Jeans

I get dressed because if I stay in my pajamas, I’m in sleep mode. However, I’m used to wearing stretchy leggings. I want desperately to get back into some jeans comfortably.

I’ve taken a pair of jeans out of my closet and hung them as a visual reminder to make choices that will help me reach my desired result.

Skinny or not, here I come, jeans! I’m radiant, energetic, and healthy, with a solid craving to indulge in the dozen stylish energizers one by one.

Generously filled

I’m filling up on the behaviors that will leave me feeling better about my being, but I’m refusing to live with a diet mindset any longer.

I haven’t felt very generous in the kitchen lately because depriving ourselves of our passions is counterproductive.

I’m choosing to fill myself up on behaviors that support my goals while using my passion in the kitchen to express my love for food healthily.

Overindulging is going to happen. It’s just a part of life. Making regular assessments of our food and fitness isn’t much different from those other goals in our lives. How might you reframe your food and fitness goals moving forward?

I’m writing this as a thank you note for my life and yet another chance to start again to lose this baggage. I wish I could shove it in the closet next to my many pairs of skinny jeans!

Thank you, Trista Signe Ainsworth, and team for your safe publication, Thank You Notes.

The weekly prompt of “Your Fragile And Beautiful Life” couldn’t have come at a better time in my life. My fragile topic feels comforted and at home. Thank you!

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