Truth Doesn't Always Hurt

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 14:6

Truth is a hard concept for most of us, because often times, facing the truth means rejecting a part ourselves and our perceived reality. Every day in my journey to regain my health, I am confronted with new (or forgotten) truths that I must accept. If I reject these truths, I will never move forward, like clearing a path through the woods.

One such truth that I have (re)discovered in the past few weeks sans blog post is that restrictions are a good thing. Telling oneself that you can eat whatever whenever creates a state of chaos, uncertainty, and general anxiety over the resulting consequences. One such example is based off of some of the research I read regarding a more insulin-friendly diet consisting of foods that are low in carbohydrates, but also higher in fats. The advice given was “eat these foods in abundance and the pounds will fall off, your body will self-regulate the calories because you'll feel satisfied.” My glucose levels have never looked so consistently good, and yet the number of grams of fat I consume daily often impedes my ability to consume enough protein to build muscle for body recomposition.

I was not lying!

For a few days I tried to focus on protein as my primary intake, but this resulted in more processed meat and PB Powder. The latter is great, by the way, but it does drive up my carb count.

Additionally, I discovered some other recent literature regarding the inefficacy and inaccuracy of calorie-counting for weight loss, so I tried disregarding my MacroFactor calculations for about a week.

I gained three pounds. So, that was the end of that.

Then, I read some things on how fasting in women can increase cortisol and thereby inhibit fat burning and increase muscle loss, so I deleted my fasting timer app and just ate when I was hungry. Well, that resulted in constantly being hungry and distracted by thoughts of food.

I looked in the mirror this morning and forgave myself for not being back at pre-pregnancy weight yet, because the truth there is that I did no even reach that weight until I was about 11 months postpartum with my previous pregnancy. I still have four months to go to meet that!

I realize that there are several truths to my body that may not be shared by many other people, but it is the reality of my mentality and my metabolism. I tried to follow my own advice and prayed for guidance as to how to improve my health and quality of life for good. After all, if you seek first the Kingdom of God, everything else will fall into place and God will provide, right?

First truth: I need to track my calorie intake. I might not stick precisely to my daily calories, but I come much closer to my nutritional goals when I do. I have been logging my food since before smart phones and diet apps were a thing, and truly I do not know life without it (or my FitBit!). I have deemed this habit a healthy one for me.

Second, fasting works for me. Just like wearing a uniform to school and one does not have to put time or consideration into what to wear, being restrictive on when I eat takes the meal planning out of the equation. This is made much simpler by always having the right foods on hand for when I do break my fast, of course, but even if my planned fasting window is closing and I do not have the right foods available, I simply extend my fast to continue the benefits of fat burning and hold out until my preferred nutritional options are available. From what I can tell in the literature I have researched, muscle breakdown is a greater risk if a fast lasts closer to 36 hours. While that type of prolonged fast was a goal of mine at least once a week, I do not think it is necessary for what I want to achieve. Prolonged fasts enhance the body's regenerative properties and boost immunity, but I am already doing this with the foods I consume, having virtually eliminated processed foods from my diet and drastically increasing my intake of vegetables and probiotics.

And that brings me to another important restriction. Besides time-restricted eating, accepting the fact that my foods should be limited to primarily whole foods is a major truth I have happily embraced, only because the results revealed themselves so quickly and the benefits became so apparent that I cannot see myself ever going back! Our trips to Costco are leaner, both nutritionally and financially, contrary to popular belief that it costs more to eat healthfully. Our entire household adheres to the same menu, and we have had nothing but benefits to reap from the changes. I can see the difference these foods have made in my children's energy - almost to my dismay, as now they seem more energized to get up to mischief!

Finally, I am prioritizing my exercise again. For the longest while even before my last pregnancy, I convinced myself that it was okay to put my exercise routine on the back burner for the sake of my family's needs. This has only served to affect mental health and self-esteem negatively, which then impacts my family negatively. It is a no-win situation, so why do it? My husband, God bless him, was so insistent that I return to weight lifting that he signed me up without my consent at his gym, knowing that the financial commitment would push me to make the time to go.

And it did.

And it was amazing.

I am now more motivated to not only lift heavy, but also get back on my regular running schedule. My two older boys were even inspired to join me for part of it!

As of this week, I am back to some of my old ways - calorie tracking and fasting - but incorporating some new practices along with the old that I hope will only enhance my previous healthy habits. Because the truth is: if it ain't broke, don't fix it!