Thoughts on My Ongoing Food Issues

Random Cuteness: He's going to be pulling himself up on furniture soon!

I've been trying to figure out why I'm struggling so much with my food issues.

I persist in thinking it's cut and dried and since I've been gluten free for more than five years now I'm "better", even when the evidence says otherwise.

But I managed to get (and stay) pregnant, so doesn't that mean I'm OK now?

* The weight piling on, the dismal energy levels, and the mental mind games say I'm not OK.

Yes, I lost all the baby weight right away, but it has since come back.

* How I ate while pregnant is definitely not working for my postpartum body.

I want to exercise more, but am too tired to wake up early enough to exercise in the morning. I haven't been able to fit in afternoon workouts because there's always something else that needs to be done in town during that time. 

* Regular exercise would help me lose weight again and feel better physically and mentally.

Not eating right makes me feel crummy physically and also makes it harder for me to deal with things mentally and emotionally. I get stressed and overwhelmed very easily, which makes me frustrated and also causes increased anxiety levels. 

* Feeling stressed makes it even harder to eat right because it becomes so much more difficult to think things through and plan and prepare nutritious meals that won't adversely affect me.

So how to fix this never-ending loop of frustration? I know and accept that it won't be a quick and easy fix. None of the steps I've made along the way so far have been quick and easy. They've involved time, preparation, thought, and changing deeply ingrained habits. I have to remember that I'm still on the journey and have not yet reached the end, and must continue changing and learning new things. 

I read a good discussion here about the connection between our gut and our mental health. It resonated with me and spelled things out that I've known for awhile but haven't been able to articulate nearly as well.

The bottom line is that I have to continue moving towards a better place with my health. I can't afford to allow myself to stagnate.

Changes:
I've recently switched up my vitamin regimen and that seems to be helping my energy levels, though there's still a ways to go.

I've tightened up my diet a bit and am working back towards being grain free. I eat mostly a paleo diet, but with some dairy and very little nuts and coconut. I'm strongly considering the autoimmune protocol, but I'm not looking forward to it since it's even more restrictive (short-term to enable the body to heal itself) and I'm not sure how it would work with my current energy demands:

breastfeeding

running

homeschooling

taking care of my family's needs

church responsibilities

projects around the house, which is my creative outlet and something that I need

Sunday morning session of General Conference Pres. Uchtdorf  gave a talk about having gratitude in our circumstances. That got me thinking and I realized that despite my current frustration with how I'm feeling, I really am so much healthier than I was in the past. I've managed to give birth to two miracle babies and I have an understanding hubby who puts up with a lot while I try to get to a point where I feel good and can do all the different things I need (and want) to do.