Freedom from fear of and addiction to food and freedom from obesity. This is an appropriate time to speak about freedom from fear and freedom from addiction. Last night, after some consternation and self talk, I decided to suck it up and go to a Seder, a Passover meal, despite the emotions that I was feeling previously. I am glad that I did. The main reason is that it is important for people to continue to move on no matter what other people are thinking or saying about them. Probably that is one aspect of a politician's heart that I marvel at. We all know that every politician, on every side of the fence , has at most a 50 – 60% approval rating, sometimes less, and those who do not approve are pretty vocal about it! Yet, the politician does not curl up into a ball and stop living.
So too, I reasoned that I have to keep moving, keep moving on, go out into the world, honor my traditions and celebrate with other like minded spirits. One key feature of the holiday of Passover is the concept of freedom, not only freedom from physical slavery, but freedom from fear, freedom from addiction, freedom from obesity, freedom from all of our distresses that plague every person, some to a small degree and some to a large. I started to think about what freedoms am I grateful for after working my plan now for over nine months.
Here is what I came up with:
Freedom from addiction to Sugar
I used to crave sugar like I need air to breathe. No matter how much food I had during the day, by the evening, I was hunting for cookies, cake, muffins, brownies, snickers, ice cream, anything to give me that fast hit of sugar, I felt like I was gasping for air. And then, once I had a bite of a mars bar, yodel, m&m's, finally I felt like I could breathe again. Of course, the joy was short lived as I just got fatter and fatter.
Today, and probably about a few days into the Hashi Mashi diet, the sugar cravings disappeared. I did not feel compelled to run to the all night deli for a big banana walnut muffin. I stopped dreaming of food in my mind. I just eat some real food and when I get hungry again, I eat some more real food and that is the end of it! For me, that is an unbelievable freedom from addiction to sugar. I imagine that if you suffer with similar type of sugar cravings or carb addiction, you will experience the exact same freedom from addiction to sugar once you start following the general concepts of the Hashi Mashi diet. Free at last.
Freedom from Fear of Food
How many of you out there are afraid of food? So afraid, that you limit what you eat? So fearful, that you count every calorie and weigh every ounce and study every label before buying or eating? I totally understand it, no judgments here at all. I have been through tens of diets over the years, so I am in no way mocking or judging the desperation that any person feels regarding how can I control this weight? How can I ever experience freedom from addiction to food and the absurd fear of food. Imagine, in a country where food is available, we are the ones who have fear of food.
How do I deflate the spare tire that never goes away? I used to hate food. Yep. I really disliked the fact that food that I was eating, was causing me harm. Sure, I loved the Oreos, but I hated the fat on me. And as a result was afraid of eating. Fast forward to now where I am so grateful for REAL food, so lets not make any mistakes, lets be accurate, I am speaking about real food, the type of food that grows from the ground, from mother earth.
Fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans. Freedom from addiction, freedom from fear of food. No more fear, no more weighing or counting, just eat and drink when I am hungry and thirsty, and that is about it. Free, I am free at last.
Freedom from Fear of Clothing
Freedom from Fear Of Clothing – Can you relate with not wanting to wear clothing that is really the right size, because the outfits just don't fit right, don't look good, no matter how many tailors you go to? Can you relate to wearing baggy clothing, sweaters, large shirts, jeans open with a belt on because you cannot close the jeans but you don't want to get a larger size in the waist, since the legs fit good? Or if you are a guy, did you stay with the 36 or 38″ waist even though your stomach is hanging over your belt?
How many days, months and years I was just walking around with XL and XXL shirts and sweaters. I think I could add into this category, the freedom from fear of shopping for clothing, when you find out your true size, when you look in the mirror and just know that you can do better! So, fast forward to today. Wow I now really like clothing. I can walk into a store and get a pair of pants and shirts that fit and look the best that I can.
I know for example that I can get a 32″ waist slim fit, and it works fine for pants and a medium slim fit shirt, and I have an outfit. Today, I look at clothing probably the way it was meant to be. It is not an enemy making me look bad or fat, because in fact, when I looked fat in clothing, I looked a lot fatter without! Soon perhaps I will be posting some before and after pictures of me shirtless, solely for the purpose of demonstrating the transformation that is possible eating real food and getting stronger gradually with real strength building exercises.
Freedom from Fear Of Going Out In Public
Have you ever stayed home, isolated, because you felt uncomfortable being seen in public? Did the idea of going out just seem uncomfortable? For me it certainly has been like that. Today I do not have that fear. I feel comfortable going out and it is okay to be seen, I feel about as comfortable with myself physically as I have ever been.
Freedom from Obesity
Have you ever been fat? If yes, you can understand how great is the freedom from obesity. If you are fat, it is not your fault. Really, it is not your fault. Sure, there are people who assume that anyone who is overweight, is undisciplined, fat and lazy. But that is not accurate. The same chemical dependencies that happen to cocaine addicts, happen to sugar addicts as well. Not everyone who drinks alcohol becomes an alcoholic. Similarly, not everyone who eats sugar, becomes a carb addict. Everyone's bodies react differently to substances.
You did not choose your chemical individuality and you did not choose to eat processed foods. Sugar and carb heavy foods were marketed to you from the time you first opened your eyes. Obesity is the natural progression of an addiction to carbohydrates, sugar and processed foods. Over 70 percent of our country is overweight or obese. ”
- Almost 3 in 4 men (74 percent) are considered to be overweight or obese.((https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/Pages/overweight-obesity-statistics.aspx))
That statistic says something about our society and cultural foods.
So, if you could gain freedom from obesity, how much is that worth? You would have to have been a person battling obesity to know.
So those are just four examples of the freedom possible when you get control of your blood sugar, when you start feeding your body real food.
Do not delay, start today!
Rich is a Certified Personal Trainer-AAPT and