Having suffered from an eating disorder for as long as I can remember I have tried many diets, pills and remedies in a desperate attempt to change the way I feel about myself. To me being thin equaled happiness, love, acceptance and success. I placed so much emphasis on my physical appearance neglecting my internal world completely. I was constantly seeking an external solution to my internal problems.
Here are just some of the self experiments (or should I say torture) that I have subjected myself to:
- I have been a vegetarian (very unsuccessfully as I became anaemic, miserable and even fatter).
- I tried the raw food diet which was way too much effort and I ended up using it as an excuse to eat even more ‘natural’ sugar. Out of all the diets I have tried this one definitely made the most impact on me as the low fat paradigm was thrown out of the window. I love raw chocolate, green juice and fermented foods and I heard it here first!
- In high school my friends and I tried the frozen grape diet (don’t even ask).
- the cabbage soup diet.
- Weighless.
- I used cocaine to take away my appetite in my desperate attempt to be a successful model. This was truly a low point in my life.
- Thinz tablets which I believe are no longer on the market. Hideous little pills those were.
- Candida diet.
- Drinking ridiculous amounts of water every day.
- Starvation diet which would only lead to bingeing.
- Alcoholism (not recommended).
- and my favourite, the ‘everything in moderation diet’.
- The coffee and cigarette diet and more.
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt!
Today I choose to live a sugar free lifestyle. It suits me and I keep it as simple as possible:
- I stick to simple, real food as close to it’s natural state as possible.
- I don’t eat refined, processed food or anything with added sugar.
- I add fat to every meal. My favourite fats are coconut oil, butter and avocado.
- I eat loads of green veg such as kale and spinach in salads, veg dishes and even smoothies.
- I eat three meals a day. The thought of intermittent fasting is fascinating but not great far an ex-anorexic.
- I don’t weigh myself, I find this to be a form of torture.
- I make time for myself to nourish mind and spirit. I make time for myself every single day. Some days that means going for a walk in the forest, other times its as simple as having a bath.
- I try schedule regular exercise, not to lose weight but to calm my busy head.
- Meditation. I choose the guided kind and am particularly fond of Deepak Chopra and the super cool Gabrielle Bernstein at the moment.
- Affirmations. I have a tendency to be hard on myself, affirmations help me access my inner softness and allows me to affirm the good in me and everything around me.
I stay far away from anything that restricts me or makes me feel deprived, that can include people as well. I choose to believe in abundance, happiness and great health.
I have stopped looking to find happiness and love in all the wrong places and choose instead to look within.
I am on a journey, I will continue to expand and grow. My views will change and I will make adjustments along the way. I love where I’m at, I really do.
xxx Karen

“The Sugar Free Revolution was started to expose the addictive and toxic properties of refined and processed sugar and carbohydrates in our diets, and help people just like you to break their addiction, lose weight, and feel incredible again!”
– Karen Thomson, Founder of The Sugar Free Revolution