Hi! My name is Anjanette. I have been a client of Renee’s since November 26, 2016. A close friend introduced me to the IP way. Since the day I started, I have never looked back. I asked Renee about participating with the blog posts for a couple of reasons (which I will get into) and she graciously said “yes”.
A little about me. I have a husband, 2 great sons and have been a nurse for almost 30 years. I have struggled with my weight most of my life. As an emotional eater, my first recollections of overindulging started around age 9 when my parents’ divorced and we moved very far away from my dad and my grandparents (Mom’s parents) who helped raise us. Food was all I had. It was always there, never disappointing me. I had periods in my teens and then 20s where I was not as heavy or was more active. I lost the same weight over and over again using the same methods we all have tried (or at least thought about trying): WW, Cabbage Soup, Energy Chews, NutriSystem, Jenny Craig, Slim Fast. I am sure there are others. When I look back on that time in my life, I realize that I was not ready to let the weight go. It was my shield; My protector and my defense mechanism. My life wasn’t hindered by it as I could run and play with my toddler and not get worn out. As I got a bit older, I started to have some issues with fatigue and brain fog. I was diagnosed with liver failure when I was 36. The weight needed to come off and my very life depended on it. Talk about lifestyle changes. What I didn’t know then is that those changes would begin a very gentle mind shift toward doing what was best for me for long term success.
What I didn’t count on or ever addressed was the emotional eater that I am. Not then, and not until I started IP. It really didn’t smack me in the face until my father passed away very unexpectedly in April of this year. I lost 23 pounds on IP, was living my best life in Phase 3 (mostly) and then BAM. My hero, my guiding force, the person who meant everything to me left Earth. My first thought was “where can I get a slice of sourdough”? You see, I was traveling when it happened. My husband and I had visited my dad prior to leaving and things were good. Dad was expected to come home. Then he didn’t. My thoughts turned to bread, pasta, pizza, breadsticks, pretzels (didn’t matter shape or size). Sweets aren’t really my thing but bread? Other than white bread, I have never met a piece I didn’t like. I comforted myself in the things that I knew. I put the tools I had, and frequently used, to get through other stressful situations, aside in favor of my comfort food. I found 8 lbs that I have previously lost. I hadn’t been to clinic, stopped really responding to posts in Renee’s FB group or IP’s Phase 1 group, made good choices only 50% of the time and just was sad.
This brings to me the title of this blog post: meet yourself where you are. I went to clinic for Red Light therapy and only expected to see the technician. Sort of hiding, but not really. Timing has a way of working things out, as does God and Renee was in clinic with a patient. I dumped my secrets~ those pesky pounds, my dad and how much I miss him, my comfort foods and with the graciousness that is Renee, she said “we all have about 10 lbs”. It was the fresh perspective that I needed to take a hard look at what I was doing and how to get out of it. IP will give us (and has given to me) the tools that I need to be successful. I have to use them. I went home that day and thought about something a psychologist friend of mine said “You have to meet them where they are”. A light kind of went off for me. So today, I am meeting myself where I am: a sad girl (but its getting easier) with 8 lbs to lose and the tools to do it. Am I perfect? Um….NO. Wasn’t when I started IP. Probably won’t be now but I will do better. Each meal I get to meet myself where I am in the process. There will be struggles and there will be triumphs. I will not get frustrated if it doesn’t go the way I want.
Today, 1 week after seeing Renee and understanding that I don’t want to find all 23 lbs that I lost, I am doing better. I have given myself permission to meet myself where I am right now and manage my eating/weight one meal at a time. I have given myself permission to use the tools given to me to get me back to a sense of well balance.
Do you need to be kinder to yourself? Do you need to meet yourself where you are in your process? Most of us do. I hope you will take the invitation to take a breath and not be so hard on yourself if things don’t go according to plan.
Let me know what you think. I am looking forward to being on this journey with each of you.