Hi All/Ciao Tutti,
I just did the 3-day Military Diet. I needed something to get me on the other side of the plateau that I've been hanging out in. You know that place? Up one pound, down two. Down two, up three. Mamma mia, it can be frustrating!
I like to do these once in awhile, not so much for the drastic weight loss, cos truth be told, you can easily gain it back once you return to eating your "regular" way, plus these diets tend to be geared towards dropping water weight. Anyhoo, so why did I do it? I did it to watch my thoughts and habits, and look for signs of where I need to improve.
With my food intake being limited, I noticed how much more I savored each bite, each morsel. I wasn't shoveling the food mindlessly into my mouth; which I sometimes tend to do. Also, I noticed how my mind is always thinking of food to buy. For example, I didn't realize until now that each time I'm leaving Eataly I think to myself "should I get some prosciutto? What about that olive bread that I love? And those cannoli's...oh how I love those cannoli's." Crazy balls!
Now there is nothing wrong with these foods. In fact, I can have them all, but moderation is the key my friends. Also, eating seasonally, listening to & feeling what my body needs is important. I learned this during my visits to Italy. Ask any Italian for Ribollita in the summer and watch what happens! Living in America, especially New York, where we can pretty much get anything we want, when we want it, is not necessarily a good thing. Our bodies are meant to function with the seasons. And non-GMO, organic, locally grown food is always the best choice. Except of course that prosciutto from Italia...ahh if prosciutto was a man I would marry him! But I digress.
So yeah, this all sounds great, but how do I put it into practice. Well my friends, I have the answer and it's not what you'd expect. In fact it's quite simple. It all begins and ends in your head. Yup. I can have all the willpower, diet plans and exercise regiments in the world, but if I use excuses, they turn into beliefs that's it hard or impossible to lose weight, and guess what? That's exactly what happens. Conversely, if I believe I'm going to lose weight...You got it...I do!
So this 3-day Military Diet experiment provided me with a quick drop of 4 pounds. Granted, not as much as if I was in my 20's, but it's 4 freakin pounds people! That's pretty good. The real gift it gave me was getting me back on track with that light inside that wants to be healthy and feel good and look good. It's gotten me back to knowing and believing that I can lose weight easily and healthily. And it reminded me of a mantra I used while walking the streets of Firenze. "Thank you for the easy and healthy weight loss!" I said it a cazillion times a day and I do it here as I stroll the streets of NYC.
I hope my sharing this helps you if you are trying to lose or gain weight, or to just be healthier. Believe that you can do it, and see it already in your mind's eye. And while you're doing all of this, it's really important that you love yourself. A lot!! If you beat yourself up and say horrible things in your head, you are never....I repeat....never going to lose weight! We are so much more than just our physical selves, yet we wrap our whole lives around what's looking back at us in the mirror.
I don't mean to be preachy here, and by all means, I do not claim to be a nutritionist or an expert. I just know what works for me and wanted to share in case it helps you. I know the woes of being overweight and battling with it. But it doesn't have to be a battle. It can be simple. So, I challenge you to start today by saying as many times as possible in the day, "Thank you for the easy and healthy weight loss. I love you (insert name here)" Just try it. What do you have to lose? wink
Happy/Buon Weekend and Big Love, PatriciaG
Message me if you'd like a copy of the 3-day Military Diet. If you feel inspired to share, please do so in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you. And feel free to pass the blog along. Grazie! Most of my photos are available for sale on my Etsy shop. If you see something on this site that isn't on Etsy, just shoot me an email and I'll make it available. All rights reserved. ©Copyright 2015 Patricia Geremia