Holidays 2012Well, I made it. I pushed myself, did too much, ate too much, gained 8 pounds, and generally overstretched myself for a month, yet I am still not that bad off. This is progress!!
Things I did this year, that I formerly could not do without paying for it, BIG TIME:
1)
Did not get enough sleep for days on end. Stayed up until 1, 2 3 in the morning, and am not in the middle of a huge flare-up. Most that happened is I feel tired, a bit stiff and I am wearing my crabby pants. This seems pretty normal.
2)
Overate. I ate and ate and ate until way past I was stuffed on multiple occasions between Thanksgiving and Christmas. While overeating is not a comfortable thing for anyone (try getting to sleep when you are packed like a musket - ick! Almost like being sick-drunk.) (OK, not really. But still.)
Overeating used to make my psoriasis and joint pain and digestive pain really act up. Not so much nowadays, although I still believe it isn't good for me, at least I did not totally mess myself up.
3)
Dropped the ball on exercising and, more importantly stretching, and relaxing, for three weeks straight. Used to be that if I did not stretch or get moving, the stiffness and joint pain would accumulate beyond normal levels. Now, I fell what I'd categorize as normally stiff. I mean, exercise and stretching are good for all, right? Not just us sickos!
4)
Did not meditate regularly, and yet I did not spiral downward into a full-on, catastrophizing, self-defeating pattern of thoughts or actions. This might have to do with some measure of burgeoning maturity, not diet, but why not throw it in with the rest?
5)
DID NOT FEEL DEPRIVED OR JEALOUS OF OTHER PEOPLE"S FOOD This one is a biggie. I usually am
barely, if at all, successful at fighting off the "poor me's" before, during and after any holiday, and definitely not above being a real jerk about it to really nice, considerate people like my DH.
This year was so different, though. I was not jealous at all of the foods I saw on the table at Christmas. I actually felt bad for the people who were eating them - they were eating boring, bland scalloped potatoes, cooked cabbage and crowned pork roast, (which my DH said was truly tasteless) while I got to have my delish sweet potatoes, salad and soup. I think all the tasty veggies have really turned our tastebuds around. They had wine, and I had fresh pomegranate juice with soda water. They had cheesecake (never liked it, myself) and I had yummy frozen cherries!
Why did this happen? Maybe because I was really organized and made sure I had ample foods I like made and ready, including treats that are on-plan for me (bags and bags of frozen cherries! Mashed sweet potatoes! My fave veggie soup, blended with cashews to make it super-creamy! Salads!) (yes, I really love salads - they are like a treat for me.)And I gave myself permission to overindulge to my hearts content, for this brief time. (
yesididgain8poundsbutnevermindthatsmallpricetopayikowhowtooseitagain)
And maybe it was because my food really
was better, and I could see that, once I got over the addictions and associations, both physical and emotional, of SAD foods.
And possibly because our bodies know better! My DH had three days of being off plan, as we were travelling with all my food and he thought he wanted to treat himself.
Turns out, the "treat" quickly turned into a "bummer" and now that we are home, he is craving homemade veggie soup, salads and fruit.
CRAVING.
Innersting, innit it?
Anyway, I dunno why number 5 worked out this way this time. But it was really nice to relax about it -
for real - and just enjoy the holidays.
by Lesliec1 » Sat Dec 22, 2012 6:45 am 
I was devastated. I took the full course but I didn't get any better. 
But it makes sense to me that your skin would react. 
