I want to talk about deprivation.

When I used to think about quitting smoking, I would get these horrible fears about being deprived.  For example, I thought I could never enjoy vacation again.  What would the beach be like without chillin' with a smoke?  No smoke breaks at work, how would I ever survive that?  Beer wouldn't be any good, coffee wouldn't be the same, dinner wouldn't be as enjoyable without that after-dinner smoke.  I just couldn't imagine life without cigarettes.

What a lie that turned out to be.  I just could not have been more wrong.  Life is SO MUCH BETTER as a non-smoker.  Vacations are wonderful because it is much easier to travel without worrying about when and where I can smoke and freaking out if I have to wait too long.  I'm too busy loving my new career to worry about a smoke break.  Beer tastes better.  Coffee tastes better.  Dinner is much more enjoyable and I don't have to go stand in the rain afterward to get my fix.

When I talk with clients, many of them have a similar fear of being deprived when we start talking about food.  I understand this completely.  I once shared the view that healthy eating meant depriving myself of anything really yummy and having to live off cardboard, rabbit food, and no chocolate.  I want to tell you that this is a LIE.

Eating mostly whole, health-filled foods hasn't deprived me of anything.  I am finding more and more ways to cook so everything tastes wonderful.  There are tons of recipes out there with less sugar, no fructose, true whole grains with lots of fiber.  Check out Eating Clean, for example.  We believe that life without all our sugary foods, baked goods, processed foods, snacks, chips, crackers, cookies and the like will leave us feeling empty and missing out on the good stuff.  Not true.

How many of us have been deprived of enjoying clothes shopping?
How many of us would give anything for a whole day where we felt good about our bodies?
How many of us have been deprived in social situations because we just didn't feel confident enough to attend or enjoy the party at the pool, beach, etc.?
How many of us have been deprived of our health and lost our freedom to be without medication?
How many of us are selling ourselves short in life, relationships, career because of our weight?
How many of us are being deprived of a life of our dreams?

That is the deprivation I want you to overcome.  Is any tasty treat in the world worth giving up these things?  I challenge you to fight back this week.  Fight for it.  Make your own list of what you have been deprived of by eating the way you have been.  Then take one look back, forgive, and make a different choice.  I guarantee that if you cut out the excess sugar and choose whole, health-filled foods you will quickly feel like a new person.  Energy!  Hope!  Faith!  Excitement!  Joy!  Love of Life!  I will never let a snack, drink, drug, substance, person, old belief, or anything else deprive me of those things ever again and I truly hope the same for you.

Now get moving!