Taylor Swift was right...did I really say that?!?

Protein and green...protein and green..
my new mantra!

Well, tomorrow is the official start to the food part of this journey. I held off posting yesterday, as I was hit with a MAJOR case of sticker shock! Geez…why is trying to eat better so darned EXPENSIVE!! More than $250 later, I have the supplies to keep me sustained for the next…few days! As my guru on this journey, Jim Keizer, put it “eating well isn’t cheap.”

“That’s one of the most f*&ked up parts of our society,” says the guru Keizer. “We should be subsidizing meats and vegetables to make them as inexpensive as freaking soda and chips! In my opinion…”

In my opinion as well! I mean, you want to eat better, but where is that line between affordability and just plain crazy! Still, I got my proteins, my veggies (green only for the next two weeks) and I plan on rocking and rolling tomorrow.

Much of the fear about this journey has subsided…well, except for the possibility of needing a bank loan to pay for it. But honestly, I am incredibly calm…almost Zen about it. I keep reminding myself that no one can take this journey for me, and I can do it alone if I have to. The nice thing is knowing that I don’t have to go it alone.

Chicken! Nom nom nom...

Since launching my blog on Monday, I have received some really kind-hearted messages of encouragement, support, and praise. Of course on the flip side of that have been some negatives as well. That’s okay…Taylor Swift was right on when she sang about “haters gonna hate,” and for this guy it is like water off a ducks back. The only obstacle to this trip to a better way of life is me. But who wouldn’t want to improve themselves?

Guru Keizer has also advised me that once the transformation begins, people will really begin to show themselves as fans or foes of my journey. He told the tale of one of his former clients who used to be a part of the “in crowd” at her workplace. She ran with the alpha females, and they were a fierce pack to be sure. When her body started to change, the “in crowd” starting to shun her. Sticking to an eating plan, she couldn’t always head out to lunch with the gaggle, and they took full advantage of her plight. Suffice to say it became clear that their method of exclusion was to freeze her out by going to lunch. Crazy huh?

Soon to be me...minus the mullet of course

As I said in my first post, this journey is only for me, myself and I. There is no bf calling me fat, no one pointing and laughing at me for my size on the street, none of that. I’ve even heard from a few people who don’t understand where my poor body image comes from. Confident of mind doesn’t always mean the same of body…and that in itself is a lesson to remember. For me, I can’t imagine not being supportive of someone who wants to make positive changes to their life, and it wouldn’t dawn on me to be jealous or envious of their success.

I am most grateful to the folks who have reached into their bag of recipes and found some really yummy-sounding healthy things that I can’t wait to try when I am allowed to. For now, the guru Keizer has a pretty tight leash on my diet. Who starts a crazy thing like this in November…truly a month of rejoicing for a gastronome? On the bright side, my end of this this cycle of healthy eating comes before the Thanksgiving holiday. I hope he will let me cheat then!

So wish me luck…the journey begins!