Practicing What I Preach

I have a 2 1/2 year old who has a significant speech delay. He loves to play educational games on my iPad, but doesn’t know yet how to verbalize his frustration when he can’t get the game to do what he wants it to do (like put a triangle where the circle should go). This morning I actually listened to something I told him. He was fussing about a game he was playing, and I said, “It’s ok. Keep trying. If you don’t like what it is doing, do something different (i.e. match the triangle to the triangle instead of the circle).” For some reason, I personally heard that message this morning and none too soon.

I am working on my second round of Whole30 in 2015. I am 12 days in this round, which makes 42 days in all so far. I feel a very safe distance from sugar and those foods that once bound me. My cravings are completely gone. Yesterday, I felt so good that I was searching for an explanation of why–apparently, it’s been a while. I have totally hated the way I feel physically, emotionally, professionally, and spiritually. In considering the lesson I was trying to teach my son, I realize that I am actually practicing what I preach to him–FINALLY. Whole30 helped break the food addiction and helped me work on unhealthy behaviors that lead to poor nutrition choices, and now, I have taken it a step further.

Monday, I started eating differently. I know you think, “What? How can you eat more differently than Whole30,” but maybe I should say that I have reordered my meals. The amount that I typically eat at supper, I’m eating at breakfast (eating supper for breakfast), which has increased my intake of vegetables over the course of the day. My lunch is about the same because during Whole30, it’s always been spot on (maybe now it’s a little smaller and more vegetable intentional), and supper is a green shake (spinach thickie) with fruit for snacks (there’s still some evening eating behavior issues I need to deal with like the need to snack while watching television).  I am truly doing something different, and the results I am getting are different everywhere except on the scale, but it’s only been 3 days. It will catch up.

Just in three (3) days, I am going to sleep easier around 9-9:30 p.m., sleeping with my CPaP better (still having crazy dreams from time to time though which disrupts my sleep), and waking easily at 5 a.m. (something I thought would never happen in my lifetime). On top of that, yesterday I had more energy than I have had in a very long time–so long that I don’t even remember it. I am enjoying those results, even though this morning, the scale was up a little. The number on the scale is not nearly as important to me as these other non-scale victories are. I will give it time and enjoy the other benefits. As for those other areas of my life, I’m working on that. One step at a time.

So here’s to learning from lessons for a toddler. What lessons do you teach others and need to adhere to yourself?