Fear of Freedom

In December, I stepped up my exercise to a new level. I was back in the gym three days a week, often more. I was doing the C25K program, working up to running 3.12 miles without stopping. I was walking on the beach on the days I wasn't in the gym, strength training and doing yoga. I was a powerhouse.

And I was miserable. I felt weak and tired. At first I chalked it up to general muscle fatigue and figured my body would catch up. A month went by and nothing. I ate more, within my dietary restrictions, adding more protein to my diet. To my dismay, I didn't feel better. Instead, I was worse. My fatigue and weakness were now coupled with headaches and dizziness. I went to the doctor, but all my tests came back normal. Nothing to worry about.

We talked about my diet and while my doctors (I saw my PCP and some specialists) all were concerned about the lack of carbs, but none of them wanted to tell me to stop what I was doing, because it was obviously working. "Talk to your hypnotist and see what she has to say."

Remember, my hypnotist has a background in nutrition, so this wasn't just any entertainment-style hypnotist. She knows her stuff.

So, a few phone calls later, back and forth with the hypnotist and the doctors, and I am officially off my low-carb diet. The diet I was on from the hypnotist was one that causes stress to the body, any weight loss plan does, actually. So when I coupled the weight loss stress from the diet with the above and beyond exercise stress, my body couldn't take it. My hypnotist wasn't surprised that I was having issues.

It has been almost two weeks since I have been off my strict low-carb diet, and I am struggling. This freedom, this not having to worry about "breaking the hypnosis" has made my attitude more casual. I've noticed that my inclinations to over-indulge aren't the same, I can stop after a few bites now. But, I'm still going for those few bites.

So, I have made arrangements to go back to my gym with the personal training for three months while I train for my 5Ks and 60-mile walk. I will go back to the clean eating diet that I was on before I went low-carb, and I will bust my butt at the gym.

Then, once my walk is over, I have run a few more 5K races and am, hopefully, at a place where I can be more in maintenance mode rather than training mode, I can take my exercise intensity down a few notched for the fall and winter, and go back to hypnosis until I am securely at my goal.

The next three months won't be easy ...