Stressed Spelled Backwards Is Desserts

I have a confession to make. For the last few months, I’ve been feeling like a fraud. The truth is, I AM a “passionate paleo diet lover” just as the Messy Masterpiece Bio says. BUT, the bigger truth is, I’m also human. GASP!!! Shocking right…

For the last several months, I’ve been having an increasingly difficult time eating clean foods. I’ve gained weight, lost the energy bank I built, and have been more ill more often. Long story short, I feel like I’m standing at the starting line all over again.

As much as I’d love to hide behind the social media false facade that society promotes, that’s not what MMB was created for. On this blog, I have invited my readers along on the “journey” back to basics. The reality is that not every step on a journey is forward.

Road Blocks & Detours

No epic journey comes without obstacles. In fact, since the beginning of time, storytellers and writers use conflict and plot twists to relate to their audiences. This is because life itself is brimming with conflict. It wouldd see

I made a promise to myself to stay real and normalize the struggles of healthy living. This means being transparent with you all and revealing the “mess” hiding behind the “masterpiece.” So, let’s get messy and dive into the top three reasons why my diet derailed…and then exploded. Sigh…

#1 Emotional Eating

“Hi, I’m Stephanie and I’m an emotional eating junkie.” By that, I mean binge eating junk food anytime life gets overwhelming. While the occasional splurge isn’t a problem, taking “self care” to the level of “I don’t care” is. Being honest, that’s where I’ve been living…in the realm of “I don’t care.” Let me tell you friends, that’s a lie I tell myself in an effort to feel better. At the end of the day, my inner guilt and frustration indicates I care VERY much.

Other lies include “I shouldn’t have to”, “no one else does”, “my health isn’t THAT bad”, and my personal favorite…”diet starts tomorrow.” Don’t listen to these lies. They’re meant to justify your poor choices and stay in the emotional binge cycle. It just isn’t worth it. orki

I’ve been working to get to the bottom of why I run to food. I’ve also been trying to replace binge eating with other things, such as a walk, when I start feeling the urge. Journaling, reading, napping, and going for a drive are other great alternatives. It’s hard, but it can be done!

#2 Finances

Unfortunately, this is the hard reality of healthy living. It can get expensive! With the increasing cost of groceries, it’s getting harder to choose the five dollar bag of grain free pretzels over the two dollar bag of generic pretzels. It’s even harder when the more expensive bag has less product in it.

I fell off the wagon HARD when our finances got tight. We are a single income family living on a budget and we are very strict about where our money gets spent. When other necessary bills increase, the food budget gets decreased. This means less pricey “health food” purchases, leaving me to fend off the cheap junk food remaining in our cabinet. This is less than ideal, but can be the harsh reality of life today.

To combat the excuse of finances, I’ve tried keeping the menu plan simpler. A piece of meat with a side of steamed veggies is much less expensive than enchiladas made with paleo compliant tortillas, dairy free sour cream, and vegan cheese. It might sound boring, but it’s a great temporary fix to get from one paycheck to the next. And BONUS, simple meals are less work too!

#3 Convenience

“Quick” and “easy” are not always synonyms of “healthy”. In fact, they are usually antonyms. It’s easier to buzz through a fast food restaurant after work then it is to go home and cook a meal. Add in hangry kids “who need food NOW or else they’ll DIE” and the fast food option seems even more enticing. Read the Emotional Eating section again. Wink!

Unfortunately, post covid fast food menus seem to be shorter and less healthy. Many of our local restaurants have done away with their salad and grilled options (or jacked their price up so high you need a second mortgage). I get it…healthy food is more expensive and may be less in demand, but it makes it even harder for “healthy” and “easy” to be synonyms again. See the above Finances section. Double wink!

Healthy recipes also take more work to make. It can be discouraging when recipes call for homemade bread, noodles, or other staple ingredients in order to be paleo compliant. It makes all those cream of chicken dump meals on Pinterest look even more enticing. Especially when all your hard work leaves you with a mountain of dishes to wash to boot!

But as previously mentioned, healthy meals don’t have to be complicated. Those fancier recipes can be saved for special occasions or nights when you have more time. Meal prepping can also been a huge life saver when it comes to convenience. Using your spare time to set yourself up for success later is one of the best forms of self love there is. One day

The Mountain Top

The epic journey of healthy living doesn’t end at the first wrong turn. I was once standing on the mountain top enjoying the view with very little illness, boundless energy, and wearing a pant size smaller than I did in high school. I literally felt on top of the world!…And I know I can get there again. You can too! Each step we take gets us one step closer to the goal. But it starts with being honest with myself and with you.

Four years ago, it took being scared to death after a medical diagnosis for me to turn my eating habits around. This time, I don’t want to wait for my health to completely fall apart before I get my act together. I am taking my view back.

Conclusion

Healthy living is a COMMITMENT. It is both the best and hardest climb you will ever do (I’m speaking to myself here too). It takes a lot of self discipline, control, and consistency to deny the social norms and live a life in abundant health. But I promise, it’s totally worth it.

And when it feels impossible to get started, just remember this; “You don’t have to climb the whole staircase today, just focus on the next step.” Take a walk. Plan one healthy meal a day. Break one bad habit. But whatever you choose, do it consistently. When you conquer one goal, move on to the next. And when you fail, give yourself grace and start over. One year from now you’ll be amazed with how far you’ve climbed.

You got this sweet friends! I believe in you. If nothing else, just know you’re not doing it alone. Messy Masterpiece is right here tripping over the obstacles of life too. Much love and best of luck!