Your Paradigm Shift
Dorothy’s Red Shoes
A paradigm is an internal map, the way we see ourselves and our lives, the way we process things that happen to us or the way we do things. A paradigm shift is when these maps are altered and changed — or maybe even thrown out.
The biggest shift you will have to make — beyond what foods you are eating – is your mindset. Successfully following a low carb or keto eating program is an entire paradigm shift, not a diet. You have to have a strong enough WHY to see you through this.
Shifting Your Mindset
Perhaps, long term, you will be doing this for your health. You will lose weight, of course, but this is a whole new way of eating for you, and you must be able to sustain it. That is where your WHY comes in. It's so important to find your WHY because it will strengthen your commitment to work your way through this shift. I am not saying you have to be strong because doing low carb or keto is difficult (actually it will become easier and easier, I promise).
You have to stay strong because health is a lifetime commitment. Even after doing keto for a while, you may still need help with the bones of keto (eat-this-not-that type of thing or help planning family meals, outings, work lunches, etc.). It might take a while longer to wrap your mind around this paradigm shift and to remind yourself that you are worth it. You are worth the hard work and the health that it brings. Low carb and keto are wonderful ways of eating to bring your body and your mind into alignment with health.
There is no WHY that is too vain or too little. Do you want to fit into a certain dress by New Year's Eve? Good enough — for now. Constantly re-evaluate your WHYS because what works on December 1st might not be important to you January 1st.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could be like this little Dorothy in the picture? Click the heels of your sparkly red shoes and be transported to a different land.
Your land might look like this:
Never being hungry between meals.
Never wanting or needing snacks.
No heartburn or indigestion.
Lower blood sugar and lower blood pressure.
Smart low carb and keto are not magic, but they are pretty close!
There will be fewer children of inflammation: IBS, arthritis, or heart disease.
Imagine no out-of-control cravings and being satisfied with your meals.
Envision never looking at the clock to see when the next food or snack is.
Dream about being allowed things you have denied yourself: cream, butter, marbled steaks with the fat still on them, bacon, chicken with the skin on — no more dried out chicken breasts, cheese — full delicious cheese — not "processed cheese food"...
OH WAIT! There is such a land. It is called the land of healthy Low Carb (whole and natural foods). It can be Mediterranean, Keto, or even a program like WW. Just be mindful of the foods you eat that might keep you hungry and hooked on cravings and urges.
The land of Oz was uncomfortable for Dorothy, yet it was a land of blossoming growth. Dorothy left her known life behind and ventured into a new land — sometimes scary, sometimes funny, sometimes poignant — but always moving forward into new adventures and new transformations.
It is not going on another diet
It's not going on another diet. It is seeing diets as unnecessary.
It is making a new eating style into a new lifestyle.
It is looking inward to your own strengths and abilities, and looking inward to see when you are hungry or full or happy with a food you are eating.
It is not looking to a diet to tell you how much to eat, when to eat, what to eat, how to eat.
It is not commercials prompting you to buy more cereals and snacks or candy and treats.
It is you quieting yourself and asking, "How does this food really make me feel? Is a bite of this food a step toward my goal of being healthy or is it a step away from health?" Healthy low carb allows you to quiet your mind and get to these questions and to get to the root of what is really driving you to eat what you eat and how much you eat and when you eat. The shift also alters the way you feel about yourself and the things that you do.
Why do I call this a lifestyle?
Following your eating plan that incorporates Low Carb is more than food lists.
This has not only been my story, but it has been played out thousands of times with other people (as I see from social media and books where people write their journeys). Because healthy low carb is a lifestyle and not just a diet, people begin to trust themselves and find their voices.
I will speak for myself
Losing weight and getting healthy were side benefits.
However, maybe because I got healthy and lost weight I feel better about myself.
I have greater confidence — no, not just in how I look in a new dress, but confidence as in being confident.
I am not afraid to try new things or speak up for myself.
I have new confidence in my abilities and choices I make.
It is as if incorporating low carb into my eating style uncovered strength and courage (look at this website and putting myself "out there"). It uncovered — or built — determination and perseverance. I know I can do it. I know I can be strong. I know my voice is valid and authentic.
Calling on all your inner reserves to do this and make this paradigm shift will help you uncover the ability to tap into everything else. I am not alone in this and neither are you. Trust me.
How do you begin to make this paradigm shift?
The very first thing you need to do is to decide you are worth making changes in how you eat.
Decide on WHY you want to do this and the goals you need to reach to accomplish your WHY. For instance, when I started keto my WHY was to bring down my fasting insulin level. My GOAL was to eat no more than 20 grams of carbohydrates a day. So first list your WHY(s) and then list your GOALS that will get you to your WHY.
Then learn about the "bones" of keto and pick your favorite foods to make this a sustainable way of eating. Don't look at restrictions. Look at everything you can have. If you are following the healthy low carb journey, still familiarize yourself with the "bones" of keto (from yes/no lists) and then to that add natural and whole carbohydrates (like a sweet potato, not Cheerios!).
Make this a lifestyle of plenty and not a lifestyle of deprivation.
Dare I say, "Don't worry, be happy!"? Kidding aside,
Decide right now, this minute, you will be happy because you are doing something for yourself that will bring last health. And remember: You are worth it!
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog, Your Paradigm Shift, and I hope it will help you navigate your journey. Don't forget to subscribe to the mailing list (below) so that you don't miss the next blog!