Listen Linda! Oh wait wrong year to reference that one...

Hi, and welcome! I am humbled, grateful, and excited to be back at this keyboard not for work, but writing for the love of it! Where to begin? Lets start with an update on the twists and turns 2021 & 2022 brought that lead me here today. To sum it up, 2021 - eased back to work, end of 2021 took a deep dive into work, advancing my career. 2022 Limbo began; Self issues arose while I became very career oriented, and my mental health journey began. Started therapy which was incredibly scary at first. Later it became one of the best, and most humbling things I've ever done in my life.

As life quickly became overwhelmingly busy, my food intake was what ever was "convenient". Which this created a false safety blanket "helping" me cope with lot's of rapid changes. It pains me to say, but my physical health got to a point where it scared me many times. Regardless, I continued pushing past it. 

Life was back to fearing regular check-ups, and shortness of breath to walk ANY distance, especially in December. Just before Christmas, I got very sick, alarmingly sick. I likely ended up with pneumonia like I used to, but man have I never felt so incapable of healing IN MY LIFE. Two things scared the crap out of me that woke me up. 

1. I was sick for weeks, one of which I could not get out of bed, missed out on a lot, felt like I let my son down, and so much more. 

2. The thought came to the forefront of my mind that "what if I don't fit on a plane seat." I. COULD. NOT. believe that I actually had that thought in my brain, whether it be true or not. If you knew what I've been working so damn hard to achieve, you would understand why that shook my core... More on that later.

ENOUGH of the doom & gloom! Needless to say, I'm getting it together, and feel like I've found a plan for a lifetime. I understand time will tell, and that it's not the only path a person could take, but I really think I found something so special and realistic for me that has worked for many others.

With limited time on my hands, and an unpredictable schedule, I was determined to find a solution towards a better path to health. The gods opened the gates... Just kidding, maybe. I came across a short video labeled "my story" by Ilana Muhlstein. The words "volume eater" made all the hairs on my body spring up! The chills that came from that video ignited a fire within me to learn everything possible. I went into complete stalker mode on her social pages, absorbing anything I could from this seemingly amazing human!! 

During my initial social stalking days a few weeks ago, I found myself replicating her recipes and creating new ones based one her principals. Once I found the book on Audible, oh it was on! I could not put that book down! I finished it in 2 days easy.

Wow. I had to take a pause just now, because how do I possibly explain to you what has happened!? The amount of gratitude, and pure awe how things fall into place at the right time is just indescribable. In 2016 I made the decision to become Pescatarian, and NEVER looked back. Have not eaten any chicken, beef, or pork since. That is the only comparable moment I have to this sort of awakening. It's early, and I'm not naive to the fact that this is the beginning of something new, but I do have to say, I am willing to bet that this is the path for me, this is the light. 

Here are the main principles that really turned my actions in this direction:

1. The phrase "Volume Eater"... Like oh I can eat a lot, get full, not feel like crap, and its actually a better more healthier way!? Tell me more...

2. No dieting! This is not eliminating anything, only if you want to within your own journey. I can actually adopt this, and stay on the same way of life forever and maintain. Amazing!

3. Mindset. I've always known that it has been mindset for me, its all emotional & situational eating for me. When I would come across a diet, I would not even try it because I KNEW it was not sustainable & I would just be left with disappointment. Ilana talks about reframing the mindset with things like "treat, not cheat" to help avoid self destructive patterns.

4. Adding, not subtracting. Add veggies most as Ilana says. Don't take anything away, just drink water first, and veggies most, protein, then ask yourself if you still want that treat, if so have it! But chances are that you will either not want it by then, or eat less because it just does not fit. 

To sum this all up. I'd say that I am cautiously optimistic at this point. Actions & time will tell. But I am feeling so much better mentally and physically. Immediate changes came after day 2 of getting serious onto this mindset. 

So far I've lost 6 pounds in the past 8 days since I naturally began this journey in a serious form. Its been 3 weeks total since discovery. I have learned so much, and the scale is slowly becoming my friend rather than my enemy. When I'm ready, I will post progress pics & so fourth. The goal is long term sustainability. I can wait if its for the rest of my life!💙

***By the way, this is not sponsored, or anything along those lines during the making of this post. These are just my experiences I am sharing for my accountability purposes, and hopefully inspiration to others. Definitely check her out!

Ilana Muhlstein's site: https://www.ilanamuhlstein.com/

IG: @ilanamuhlsteinrd