I screwed up. I admit it. I fell off the wagon.
Since I discovered I had Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, I have had to drastically change my diet. For over a year, I’ve mostly followed an AIP (Auto-Immune Protocol) Paleo diet, which means I avoid Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Nightshades, Refined Sugars, Caffeine, and most liquor. This was not an easy adjustment. As a comedian, I loved having my Crown Royal shot before a show and visiting the Waffle House at 2 a.m. I loved going out to eat every night. That had to stop. I ate AIP Paleo for over a year, and my joint pain disappeared. My digestion got better. My sinuses improved. It’s been a hard-fought year.
And then Saturday night happened. Over time, I learned the only drink I can have that doesn’t hurt me later is tequila with orange/lemon/lime fruit slices, as I can’t do any of the mixers because of the sugars and preservatives. But Saturday night, I wanted a shot of vodka. I ordered a shot of Grey Goose with orange slices without doing my homework. Within two hours, I felt just as bad as when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s. My sinuses clogged up, the pain in my arms returned, and my body ached. Upon further research, even though Grey Goose says “it’s gluten-free,” it’s made with wheat. Fuck.
I was tired and in agony. I was hurting so bad I couldn’t sleep. I know I could take an Advil or Aleve to take the pain away, but then those make my stomach worse than it already was. In those sleepless hours, I began beating myself up. Nearly 18 months of eating clean! How the fuck could I be so stupid? Why did I have to have that drink? And then I found my mind remembering all the times I joined Weight Watchers and quit, all when I fell through on the promises I made to myself. Oh yeah…what was happening to me was what I tell my clients happened to them. The unconscious mind kicks into survival mode. I inadvertently threw it a curve ball, and now it had to double down and remind me of all my failures, hoping the lesson would sink in and I wouldn’t be so stupid again.
I knew I had to change my focus from beating myself up over the ONE night I screwed up and remembering that I ate pretty clean for nearly a year and a half. I began changing my thoughts to how this shot of vodka would be out of my system in a few days and that I would recover quickly, easily, and naturally from this. In the morning, I researched natural cures for joint pain. Turmeric, plenty of water, and eating foods that tame inflammation was the answer, and I began planning my food and water intake. By the following evening, I was good enough to do 30 minutes of comedy for a neighborhood party.
Have you ever “fallen off a wagon”? Was it the beginning of a downward spiral, or was it the beginning of becoming a better, stronger YOU? It’s hard to stop something that is rolling downhill. It is usually better to jump off and get slightly bruised than wait for the crash. Here are a few things you can do when you find yourself in this situation:
BREATHE. Take a moment, and reconnect your mind and body with some deep breaths. Notice what your mind is doing, and begin taking control of your thoughts.
EVALUATE what happened objectively. Why did I do what I did? How did that make me feel? How did that make others feel? What can I do better?
CHANGE YOUR FOCUS. Take a look at all the things you did “right.” Count all the days you were successful. Remember all the things you did that were amazing. Where do you want to be one day from now? One week? One month? One year?
SET A PLAN. What can you do differently? What can you do to prevent whatever happened from happening again? What can you do to make staying on your consciously desired course the most desirable and enticing path? What does “finished” look like for you?
Hypnosis is a great way to help with major or minor lifestyle changes and addictions. If you’re having trouble answering these questions…you know who to call!
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