Day 27 and Thoughts about Control

DAY 27. Can't believe I've made it through the cleansing phase without cheating or going crazy! I don't remember the last time I went a month without alcohol, dairy or flour! I don't think there ever was a time without those things. Next week I start adding things back in gradually, first week I add back in flour, the week after will be dairy. This way I can figure out if I have any food allergies or intolerances. Next week I can also add back in some alcohol, in the form of no more than 1-2 glasses of red wine per week. After 4 weeks, I'm not missing any of those things anymore, which is good because while it will be nice to add a little variety and be able to enjoy a nice glass of wine with dinner on occasion, the meal plan will still be focused on lean protein and lots of veggies. I don't think I've eaten this many veggies in my life. I seriously have to re-stock lettuce and other greens in the middle of the week now because I eat all the stuff I bought on the weekend.

Last night's dinner was an awesome slow-cooker veggie stew. I just added chopped onion, garlic, cabbage, tomato, carrots, bok choy, mushrooms and tofu, then topped with low sodium vegetable broth and some spices (chili powder, cayenne, oregano, thyme, basil, bay leaf). I let it simmer for a couple hours and it was delish. I did add more cayenne and chili powder to it upon tasting, to make up for the lack of salt. I made enough for another meal or two, so I'm looking forward to it as a healthy lunch before Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night.

Something that I've noticed about being on this plan is that I feel in control. A lot of the time in the past, I felt like I wasn't in control of my life, I felt chaotic or lost. Work stressed me out more than it should and I felt like that was out of my control too. Having this sense of control over my body again, is such an empowerment. I feel like I have taken back the reins on my life again. I may not control all the circumstances that happen to me, but I have complete control over my responses to those circumstances. Yeah, a workout session gets canceled due to a holiday or a sick day. Doesn't matter. I get myself to the gym and do my workout. Yeah, someone brought in some cupcakes. That doesn't bother me. I'm not going to eat them and I can appreciate that it was a nice gesture. Yeah, I take calls all day from people bitching about stupid things, that's okay. That's my job sometimes. I can't control how they act or speak, but I can stop letting it bother me. Once I start taking control over my own mind and body, life stops seeming like a hopeless hap-hazard bunch of random events. I am not a victim of circumstances, I am a strong, smart and willful woman (my boyfriend would probably say stubborn, lol) who is responsible for herself and has people depending on her. I can't just leave it all up to chance anymore.