Hello everyone-

I wanted to share a bit of what I've learned over the last several months. I'm feeling like I've had some good progress and it's fun to look back on it now.

I started at the beginning of April. I was sure that I was already doing everything 99% right. I just needed to slowly add some even doses of complex carbs throughout my day and I would be ready to roll. I was thrilled about the support here since I was having some big emotional reactions to adding back carbs after a long period of low-carb dieting.

Three and a half months later, I'm on Step Two. As much as part of me still very much wants to be rushing ahead, I'm also realizing there are some good things I've learned along the way.

Here are a few of them:

- I took in all four components of breakfast. Timing, consistency, sufficient complex carbs for me, and sufficient protein for me. I've read so much about nutrition I should have a degree. But it actually took quite a while to allow just these simple instructions to filter into my brain and my habits.

- I learned to put me first in the morning. I used to be a mom who took care of everyone else and rushed out the door without eating.

- Just eating breakfast on time, every day, sufficient protein and "brown" actually helped me feel better. Kind of amazing. This was true even though I was eating more junk than before starting the program (maybe because I was shifting the pattern and not putting all my energy into saying no, or maybe because I was "saying goodbye" to sugar)

- Lingering on breakfast gave me time to make it a solid habit and start turning my focus to feeling physically and emotionally well. This is a big shift away from scale-watching and carb-counting.

- I've logged food on previous diets, but journal is proving to be a challenge. Some of my new awareness about myself is uncomfortable. I'm really glad that breakfast is a solid support under me as I work on this.

- There are a lot of nano steps to journaling when you break it down. And it's much easier to start building a new habit by taking on little steps instead of trying to do it all at once. Learning the four components of breakfast was great prep for breaking down journal into manageable pieces.

Thanks for listening,
Gretchen