When I started on this path nine years ago I had no idea what would happen. All I knew is that I could not go on a diet again.
I started with an intention :never to diet again. I observed myself and took on the goal of making peace with my body and food.
I am there!
And of course it wasn’t a linear path.
2024 brought a huge challenge. I had a knee replacement and the recovery was hard, frustrating and painful and long.
Hard to see myself bloated and unable to be active, my mind grasped on to old thought patterns. I found myself thinking about diets and how a few days of going on a calorie restricted diet would take off the excess.
But I paused and got out my notebook and wrote about my journey with dieting. I had forgotten what a horrible road it had taken me on. Days of starvation, deprivation, anxiety, yo yo dieting and more weight gain and a constant battle with food and my body. This quickly woke me up.
I dived in to more self care. Although I couldn’t hike, what could I do?
I did wall push ups, worked with weights and did all the knee recovery exercises.
The real self care has always been the inside nurturing and healing. More of the growth centered stuff. You Tube is filled with wonderful podcasts (check out Rich Roll) and I absorbed some wonderful interviews as I lay around with an iced knee.
The healing and the shift took time, as did the acceptance. Our bodies do change and that is part of our life.
Gradually my body began to heal, but I am not (and not sure if I will ever be where I was pre-op) but I am at peace and very grateful to be building a strong and healthy body.