Changing our lifestyle to achieve health is like going into a jungle with the hope to see an oasis on the other side. I believe any big change requires daring to get into the jungle. If you won’t cross the jungle, you won’t reach an optimal health.
Any change we want to create requires courage to leave the place we are in, toward the place we wish to be. We have to let go of where we are, in order to step forward towards where we want to be. This is something that is hard for us to do. We prefer the devil we know than the unknown risky jungle. The solution is self-kindness.
The challenge with starting a low carb lifestyle is the fear of failing along the way. If you are considering starting this low carb journey and is afraid of failing, don’t start!
Why?
because you will fail!
The longer the journey in the jungle (if you are very sick, very overweight…), the more challenges you will have along the way.
Much like in the jungle, when we have challenges like: darkness, uneven path, scary predators, thorns, not comfortable, hot sun and loneliness, in this journey toward health, we are going to face: fear of failure, fear of success, other people not agreeing with us and not supporting us, temptations, )That’s a big one) it is not comfortable, it won’t be consistent, sleepless night, not enough energy, aches and pains, others will succeed better than us and it will demotivate us, our progress will stop, we’ll be stuck even if we eat healthy and do all the right thing…
That’s part of life.
If you are not accepting it, you are fighting against the nature of things.
When we are young, we learn to be afraid of…fear.
Instead of facing life with a sense of adventure, like children usually do, life feels like a scary jungle with many lions, snakes, and scorpions. Every time we want to make a change, we are afraid of failing. The problem is that not stepping in the jungle is a guaranteed failure. If you are sick or suffering the consequence of carrying extra weight, if you won’t dare to embark into the journey, it won’t change the sickness or the suffering of the extra weight.
It does not have to be the jungle of low carb, but it must be some kind of a jungle. Any major change requires getting into the jungle and crossing it.
Compassion towards self is the best way of getting into the jungle. If you know you will fail, you know you will get stuck, you know that sometimes you’ll have to go backwards in order to move forward, that some people will envy you, some will criticize you because you challenge their belief system, some days you’ll be so frustrated and weak and eat eight mangoes and a box of Ferrero Roche and you’ll be Ok.
Your chance of succeeding is greater. When you fail, it makes no dent on your self-worth but only means you are human. In fact, it means you are a brave human.
Remember, every time things don’t happen the way you want it, in this journey, remember to be kind to yourself. Comfort yourself. Tell yourself it is only human to fail. Take some time off and start walking again tomorrow. Every day you can start again.
Below is a list of tips to survive this jungle. Use any of them to help you along the way.
1. Plan the trip into the jungle. Gather resources, learn what required of you and have a plan on how to make it work. Don’t skip the planning step. It is not wise to get into the jungle without the proper preparation, without the proper equipment. Be smart!
2. Make a list of 100 things that make you happy. Happy moments are your flashlights. When you feel difficulties in this low carb lifestyle, focus on this list to light the way. Make yourself happy. Happiness makes it easier to cross the jungle.
3. When you are in the jungle take responsibility. No one can take that journey for you. It is yours; you have to walk it. Wishing you didn’t have to take that journey; won’t change the fact you do. Don’t waste energy on it. Start walking!
4. Your body is a temple, worship it! Your body is the vehicle you use to travel through life. Care for it! Everything you do ask yourself if you are kind to your body or cruel and adjust.
5. Take some people with you into the jungle. Don’t seduce anyone to join you. Find those who are in the same boat. Find your tribe! It is less scary to walk into the jungle in a group.
6. Help others who are with you on the journey. Share your success to inspire, share your frustrations to build rapport, share recipes, podcasts, have gatherings, support those in need. Kindness is like a boomerang; you send it away and it always comes back.
7. Remember that what others think about you is none of your business. If they are not kind to you, it does not mean anything about you, but more about them. Do not punish yourself for their cruelty.
8. If you go into the jungle, never do it to please others, because that is self-cruelty. Your “job” is to take care of your health, not theirs. It will not take long before the pressure on you will “force” you to step out of the jungle.
9. When things are overwhelming. Don’t give up. take a deep breath, take a bit of time off, go to sleep. It is like taking short rests in a long journey.
10. Always focus on progress. If you are not progressing and you are stuck. Remind yourself where were you before you started. Any small progress is a progress.
11. Doing things the hard way, is the opposite of self kindness. It is self-cruelty. Look for ways to make your life easier. Do not try to be perfect, a hero, all knowing and all powerful, by doing everything on your own. Let go of unrealistic expectations of yourself and give yourself some “discounts”. If there is a mess one more week, so what? If things did not happen exactly the way you wanted them to, so what? Do things differently and try again. Unrealistic expectations of yourself or others are unkind, so get rid of them. Set up realistic goals and conquer them. Focus on small steps!
12. If you can, consider it an adventure. I experiment with different food and strategies, there is something exciting about it. It is the difference between thrown into the jungle (Hensel and Gretel – Survival) and going willingly to a camping trip in the jungle. (adventure). If it is an adventure, you’ll come out with wonderful memories and learnings no matter what happens.
I hope this list of tips will help you in your jungle journey towards health.
On the comment box below, write your tip to others entering this low carb jungle adventure.
