About four months ago I decided to go completely unprocessed. I gave up all dairy, flour and sugar.I only eat fruits vegetables and lean meats.
There was no challenge that I did. I am not a fan of challenges. I understand that some people need them as a kick start to something great, but I think a lot of challenges are there to promote companies. Plus, I do not think it is right that because I am doing something that others should as well. I do not think the way I eat is the best way for everyone. In fact, I think that if you ask 100 people what the best diet is, you will get 99 different answers and one answer where someone says “I hate the word diet, I like to think of it as a lifestyle transformation journey lovefest!”
I do not feel better by going unprocessed. I never understood why someone thinks they feel so much better when they eat a peach or broccoli? I never did. I always felt better when I ate less and then I lost weight, regardless of the food. I felt better when I was able to bend down and walk without back pain. I felt better at 353 pounds, when I was able to wipe myself in the bathroom. But I am not going to sit here and tell you that now rainbows and unicorns follow me everywhere.
I do not think there is anything wrong with processed foods. Restaurants are not bad places to be. I think that for some people, a frozen dinner or a “100 calorie” snack is better than eating a ton of food. I think a diet that has rations works better for some. I am not going to sit here and go on a rant about the evils of processed foods. There is nothing wrong with them.
I do not think the way I eat is elite. People like to think that “Paleo” is this uber elite way to eat. No, it is a diet. And just like all diets it is getting more and more abused as people see that they can make money on it. Paleo cookies and Paleo bread is popping up everywhere. There is no elite diet out there. Wait, there is one. The elite diet is the diet the person who never had a weight issue is on.
I do not think you should only eat unprocessed foods. So many people are “Born again health nut” where they were once fat and now that they lost weight want to change the world. I was like that. Hell, if you have ever had weight loss success you were like that. Change yourself and then the world. I refuse to be the person that scolded me when I was 420 pounds.
So why did I go unprocessed?
Because I was 420 pounds. Because I realized that when you are lost in the woods you have two options. You either try like hell to find your way out or sit and wait for someone to save you. I have lost weight so many times in my life it is not funny. And every time I become smart. Only to gain weight back and become dumb.
Last year I fell after losing the baby. I did not tell anyone. I kept it to myself. I did not gain a lot of weight because of my workouts, but I would have. I am an extreme weight loss success story.
I think I made a lot of excuses that I can “Only eat one” of things or “Tomorrow will be my day”. I got up to 272 pounds when honestly, I could have easily been over 400 pounds again.
And that is the thing. I am not going to keep fooling myself. I have lost close to 50 pounds so far this year. I have not starved myself. I have gone to buffets, restaurants, convenience stores and work and have eaten unprocessed. People say that it is hard. That is not hard. Being 420 pounds was hard.
And I refuse to be this dumb guy who does not get it. I refuse to keep falling in this trap that so many people fall into. I am not looking for the latest and greatest thing. I have no desire to do so. Food is not my life. My family is my life. My writing is my life. My workouts are my life.
My life is my life.
So here I am. I have no desire to talk about what I eat everyday. I have no desire to Instagram my food and I have no desire to talk about the diet I am on.
That is not why people have read my blog and followed me for four years. I used to think people come here because I lost over 200 pounds. There are plenty of people who have blogs who lost 200 pounds.
I am writing this and telling you this because you need to find what works for you. You cannot sit there and wait for a challenge or for an inspiration to tell you what to do. I cannot control processed foods. 99% of people can. I am in the 1%. I am okay with that because I have to be.
But I drive by McDonald’s and still love the smell. I look at fresh cookies and tell myself I can only have one. I look at Halloween candy and think “It is fun size, one will not kill me.”
I will never find out if it will kill me or not.
I am unprocessed.
