Go on a diet they said. It will be easy they said. Seriously, how hard could it be to eat healthy and work out? Calories in versus calories out! Piece of cake… Oh wait, that’s what got me into this mess… Isn’t it?

We have these bodies and minds work together to keep us up and running… Sometimes literally and sometimes just figuratively.

But we outsmart ourselves from time to time. Our brains have figured out how to get more sugar, how to store it, and how to drive us for more of what it craves.

Add to that a need to have everything work perfectly or else, we have become carb crack hoes without ever realizing it! Seriously, my body has woken me in the middle of the night to go make it brownies!!!! And I know I am not alone!!!!

Phase 4 in ideal protein is about keeping that control. The lessons learned in the previous phases all come to play now! Now you need to eat the best choices you can. You must find exercise you can do the rest of your life… Try a lot of them, I promise you will surprise yourself! You must sleep!!!! I thought this one wasn’t important, I was WRONG!!!!!

Control is tenuous at best! I fight myself to eat the right things, force myself to workout, and drag myself to sleep to try and keep things under control.

Being in control takes effort, and it’s hard. It’s also the best thing you can do for yourself! Phase 1-3 are your time to listen to your body. It’s trying to teach you what it needs… And trust me… It does not NEED brownies!