Preparing for the big change.

We have been doing a lot of gearing up over the last week. We've identified our triggers, learned about skills, made a safety plan, and worked on identifying our blacklisted foods. What else do we need to know going into "hell week?" Because, make no mistake, your dietary changes are going to wreck havoc on your life. This has many different folds.

Firstly, your physical body is going to throw a big, huge, nasty fit. I can attest to this. My diet is extremely strict, and when I cut everything, I got sick. A friend of mine and I were just comparing our withdrawal horror stories last week. I was as sick as a dog. I got a migraine that lasted 24 hours. I was throwing up. I was shaking and covered in sweat on a night that was 30 degrees. There's no other word for it. I was suffering from withdrawal. This is when I made the comment about how we know that we've had these "hung over" moments where we are sick and assume that feeling really freaking bad would keep us from going back. However, the victim of many failed diets, I know this isn't the case. Hence, the safety plan.



Now, we also have to take into consideration the impact that all of this has on your family. Many of us don't live alone. I don't expect my family to eat like me, which means I'm preparing their meals and my own. If I'm not really prepared for this, I run into trouble. I have a drawer and a shelf in the fridge that's reserved for my food. This helps in two ways. One, my family knows to ask before using some of "my" food. Two, I don't look all over the fridge for stuff I have deemed safe to eat, thereby being tempted by foods that are on my blacklist. I go directly to "my" space in the fridge. If I don't find something I want, I make a new recipe, which I've mentioned before is one of my coping skills anyway.

Another thing to prepare for is actual food. We've already addressed that most of the foods you're consuming aren't safe, so you'll have to stock up on the right kinds of food. This can be a very stressful situation. I know when I first started this, many years ago, I had to stock up on things I NEVER ate. Cauliflower? Who eats cauliflower? What is almond flower? Why are they putting sugar in peanut butter, for god's sake, and why can't I find a jar without added sugar? Most stressful shopping trip ever.

I've been collecting recipes for years and adjusting them. One day I'll get to making a separate site just for my recipes, but I would urge you all to start simple. Look up your recipes and decide which ones you can do. My first meal was simply sauted mushrooms and broccoli out of simple desperation. I was hungry, and I wasn't going to eat garbage anymore. Take into account that you need to get enough food rolling to sustain you for a while. The first week, I went to the store nearly every day. I keep my recipes in my Pinterest until I have a chance to try them. Inevitably, after I try them, they get altered and moved around, but that's okay. I have about a 50/50 success rate.

We're going to get through this together. you and I. If you're struggling with self harming or suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the Suicide hotline (1-800-273-8255). Always feel free to use our chat or 7 cups just to have someone to talk to.

We're in this together.

Jess