Hi.

My name is Carrie.

And I’m a recovering food addict.

Four years ago I gave up Diet Coke. I drank two – 2 liters before noon. Every day. And that’s not even counting everything I drank from noon to midnight.

Three years ago I gave up preservatives, GMO’s, fast food – essentially anything with ingredients that didn’t come naturally from the ground.

No fake food. Only real food.

My husband and I lost 70 pounds, started bicycling, changed our lives – my family was transformed. We rode 500 miles on our bicycles (in one week) across the state of Iowa this summer.

So, how did I realize I was food addict?

At breakfast I thought about lunch. At lunch I thought about dinner. Food was an idol. It was way more important than it should have been.

I refused to deny myself. I tried every diet – but I always had a caveat. I had to “treat” myself. I couldn’t go without bread, or cheese, or sweet tea, or…well, if it was something I loved, I had to have it “every once in awhile.”

I hadn’t yet come to the conclusion that anything worth having would take a sacrifice. Would take discipline. Would take commitment.

I expected the life I wanted to come easy.  And I wanted to be healthy. But I didn’t want to make the sacrifice that meant I could be healthy. So, I didn’t really want to be healthy.

Therefore, I took a pill, ate all carbs, ate no carbs. I tried everything. Fad diets. I started over every Monday. This time I was going to do it. Seriously. But I didn’t get to the root of the issue.

The root of the issue was my own selfishness.

Putting my own needs before my health. Putting my own needs before my family. Putting my need for food ahead of my own life, really. And it was that serious.

When the scales fell from my eyes and I realized there was a problem – that I couldn’t control myself or my eating, I had to make a decision.

A choice.

I’m not saying it was simple, but I simply had to choose.

And I still have to choose. Daily.

I’m not just “over” it, even though I’ve been eating clean for three years.

But to give you hope, my friend, it’s gotten easier to eat clean. I’ve practiced the choice day after day after day after day, and now it’s a habit. But I’m not home free. I can’t fall out of the habit.

I really really really really really love organic white chocolate. And it’s good as a treat.

But the addict in me wants to stuff like six of them in my mouth all at once.

So I have to make a choice. Practice a discipline. A daily habit.

You know who you are – because the struggle is real. Every day you feel discouraged and you just want to stop and give up. You can start back up tomorrow – that’s what you tell yourself.

STOP!

DON’T GIVE UP!

YOU CAN DO IT!

I am your proof.

And whoever this post was for today – even if it was just one person – I want you to know it’s possible.

You can read my whole story. Then you can read my advice about how to start. Everyone’s journey is entirely different. You don’t have to do it the way I did it.

You just need to START NOW.

I still like food. But NOW, instead of living to eat, I eat to live.

Let’s be honest, friends. There are days I want to eat an entire block of cheese. Just because a block of cheese would taste AMAZING.

But I can see what has happened historically because I’ve made the right choices, so it encourages me to choose AGAIN.

I feel better. No more foot pain. No more fatigue. Less sickness. Less bloating. The list is forever long.

I’m still on a journey. I still have goals. But I realize that this is a lifestyle, not a Minute to Win it game.

Are you ready to start this adventure? Because I’d love to join hands with you and run the race together.

Hi.

I’m Carrie.

And I’m a recovering food addict.

Wanna join me?

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I’d love to hear from you. What’s your journey been with food? With your own struggles? I appreciate what honesty does to help us become vulnerable and transparent about our struggles. Let’s chat.

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