Mike Week 10: Back on Track

I am finally back home and have never been so happy to be back. It has been a grueling trip emotionally and physically. I not only had to deal with my mother who is 95 but I also had to help two friends make life changing decisions. It began flying from L.A. to N.Y. then drive to R.I. back to N.Y., fly to Miami, drive to Key West (161 miles) then drive to Naples (280 miles) then back to Miami and fly back to L.A. There were only a few moments of fun with the rest being stressed out, tired, living out of a suitcase, sleeping in bad beds and of course trying to eat right and maintain my new lifestyle. It was 16 days of traveling hell. But I learned a lot about myself and how to maintain my eating habits. As I said last week as I was losing it in Key West, stress is my worst enemy. After dealing with my mother I went off the wagon and ran to food and ate crap, literally. Processed sweets, chemicals, food coloring, corn syrup, refined sugar, the works. It was good for a second but the price paid in remorse and regret was a wake up call. Again in Key West I broke down and was in a hotel and didn’t have a scale in it. I was freaking out by the time I was heading home.

So what did I learn from all of this? Well how to manage stress was first. I instinctively ran to eating junk for comfort when stressed out. I now know that this is not an answer but rather only compounds the problem. Now when stressed I will calm down, try to evaluate the situation, and not run to food. Secondly I realize I cannot help everyone at the expense of sacrificing my own well being. I am now back on my eating Paleo, taking my supplements, working out and feel like a drug addict out of rehab and back to life. The old foods I ate seem disgusting to me and am even more dedicated to changing my way of eating. I also had 3 books on Paleo dieting come in and gave me more recipes to eat right. As far as my weight, fortunately I only GAINED 1 1/2 pounds. I thought it would be like ten to twelve. So for that I was grateful. Today I went to Ralphs and noticed that the salad bar now has a gluten free section. Also, tonight on Rock Center they have a piece on gluten free eating. I don`t know if it will be pro or con for it but am curious to watch. But an awareness is happening that we are killing and poisoning ourselves from the way we eat. I believe more than ever that we can turn our lives around by refusing to let the corporations and government control our lives with the food we eat. It is good to be back home and am more dedicated to reaching my goal weight before I hit the road to Jaimaca for Thanksgiving and know much more on how to eat on the road. I hope you all are doing good with you programs and still on the path to hit your goals. Until next week, stay the course and stay happy.