Hello High Heelers
I know we’re all dying every day and that each moment we live brings us closer to our final breath, but I feel like I’m dying faster than I should be today. It’s been holiday after holiday on this side of the world. Now that we’re back into the swing of normal length weeks, I find myself in desperate need of my 3 o’clock nap. I had 5 days of them, but today I had to work right through to the end of the day. It’s been quite strenuous. I’m tired just thinking about it. In fact, I’m exhausted.
It’s funny how routine becomes so ingrained in us. One of the most basic routines that guides us through the day is our eating habits. 8am breakfast, 1pm lunch and 7pm dinner with all the snack times in between. If I don’t get my 10am cuppa tea you can forget about seeing me smile for the rest of the day. The caffeine, the sugar rush and the little taste of ‘comfort’ is my drug. Without it I have very little personality and I’m quite frankly, grumpy! I think many of us have that little ‘thing’ that makes them feel better. It’s chocolate for many of us girls, coffee for some, cigarettes for others… and then there are those who take it a little further and are bound by an addiction that rules their health.
Well, after learning from Prof Tim Noakes (yes, I am still impacted by his talk a month later), I realised that I’m addicted to carbohydrates. Well, at least I was. Shortly after the learning, I cut all full carbohydrates and grains from my diet. No bread, no cake, no rice, no pasta, and most devastatingly, no pizza. To say that it was hard is an understatement. On day one I was actually ok. Day two and three were fine as I munched carrots and cucumbers, but on day four I would have stolen candy from a kid to get my fix. I couldn’t sleep, I had a fever, my body ached, I was fatigued and I was like a call of scary hormones. Quite simply – I was dangerous. On day six we held a session in our boardroom with chocolates and sweets on the table. I had to physically restrain myself by sitting on my hands – and luckily my boss, Natalie Maroun, was sitting right next to me, keeping a close eye.
Some psychologists say that it takes 10 days to form a new habit or change an old one. I’ve heard that alcoholics need 28 days to break the worst of their addiction. Many say that it’s an individual thing and the time varies – which I buy more readily. However, the common denominator in most of these habit forming and breaking techniques (that I can find) is the fact that you need to change the behaviour immediately, constantly motivate for the right behaviour, be disciplined over time and avoid temptations at all cost during the beginning phases.
A month into my carb-free eating I am more energetic, I eat less but more frequently and the idea of wolfing down my sacred pizza slice makes me feel a little sick (on most days). But don’t bring a piece of chocolate cake anywhere near me, or a mint chocolate – you might lose a finger or two! Getting through our bad addictions is a lifelong struggle. Is it worth it? I’d say ‘yes’. The benefits outweigh the difficulty. My body is happier, my mind is clearer and I’m slowly dropping extra weight. But forget about depriving me of my tea!
What’s your addiction that weighs you down? Why not think about a strategy to fool yourself into not needing it anymore? Start today. Cut it out and stand tall in the knowledge that you can. I’m not sure how long it would take me to get over my heel addiction, but I’m not sure I want to, and I don’t think it causes harm to anything or anyone (other than my credit card – which is surprisingly resilient). But if I had to discover that it was ruining my health, I’d definitely become a flat-shoed one!
Stand tall and strong today in the knowledge that you can overcome any addiction that holds you hostage. If I can, anyone can. Let’s go! Have a wonderful week.
Cheers,
Jo
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