Looking back over the last couple of years, it can seem like the whole low carb diet malarkey was a failure of epic proportions! It cost me my health for well over a year, my relationship, and certainly (if I ever had any!!) my credibility for giving dietary advice! Bah ha ha! Friends sometimes like to point out my failings in conversations about the last couple of years, saying things like
‘Ooh yes, that was a really bad mistake, I mean a really, really bad mistake’
‘You know what your problem is, you take an idea and you run with it, then you are so focussed on that idea that there is just no stopping you. If you did things more in moderation you wouldn’t have been in such a mess’
‘Ooh yes, that was a really bad mistake, I mean a really, really bad mistake’
‘You know what your problem is, you take an idea and you run with it, then you are so focussed on that idea that there is just no stopping you. If you did things more in moderation you wouldn’t have been in such a mess’
Ha! Don’t you just love friends! Always there to point out your flaws! Actually, I do love my friends, and I didn’t take the comments personally, but I did start thinking about this failure side of things. Was it really such a failure? What denotes something as a failure anyway? Can good things come from ‘failure’? When do we start to see failure as a bad thing?
At school, failure is always looked upon as a bad thing. If you fail a test or get a bad grade it’s hardly a cause for celebration right? You are constantly being tested for this or that, and if you don’t pass, or if you make mistakes then there are always negative connotations, but why? Surely we learn from getting things wrong?
At school, failure is always looked upon as a bad thing. If you fail a test or get a bad grade it’s hardly a cause for celebration right? You are constantly being tested for this or that, and if you don’t pass, or if you make mistakes then there are always negative connotations, but why? Surely we learn from getting things wrong?
I actually think a lot of positives have come out of this ‘epic failure’ experience. Firstly, my health is getting much, much better; in fact I would go as far to say that it is better than it’s been in a long time, not just than the past couple of years. Yes I still have some extra weight and some water retention but in terms of quality sleep, energy levels, and mental clarity, things are pretty amazing. I feel hugely positive, like I can accomplish anything if I set my mind to it! If I hadn’t followed the low carb diet to the degree that I did, with the fallout that I had, then I would probably still be tinkering about trying this diet or that diet, in a bid to get ‘more healthy’. I’ll tell you this though, I’d rather have had a couple of pretty bad years (and they were really awful- I wouldn’t like to repeat them!) and have the next 40 + years in amazing health, than to have never made the ‘huge mistake’ and just have ambled along in ok-ish health for the rest of my life!
I’ve learnt huge amounts about health and how a body works. I’m nowhere close to knowing everything about our inner workings but I’m a lot closer than I was before! I can make better decisions about my health and things that will benefit me/harm me. I live more intuitively by listening to my body, whereas previously that would never have occurred to me!
I’ve learnt huge amounts about health and how a body works. I’m nowhere close to knowing everything about our inner workings but I’m a lot closer than I was before! I can make better decisions about my health and things that will benefit me/harm me. I live more intuitively by listening to my body, whereas previously that would never have occurred to me!
My relationship fell apart following on from this ‘failure’ but we are still good friends. On the surface it seems that my ex didn’t like my weight gain, which was very hurtful, and eventually I left. I’m sure there is more to it than that though. I think the connection I thought we had in the relationship perhaps wasn’t as strong as I thought it was and we just ceased to be a good fit. These things happen. We all have certain criteria that we want or need from a relationship and things break down when they aren’t fulfilled. If it hadn’t come to breaking point over my ‘failure’ then perhaps we would have continued to muddle along for many years in a less than optimal relationship. Who knows? Our relationship works much better now as just friends (living apart from one another!!).
As for my credibility, well, I’m not sure that was ever in place!! I try not to comment now unless someone specifically asks, or I may say something once, so people do have different options, but then it is up to them as to whether they research that idea further. Certainly people should research things for themselves, or listen to their own body more, rather than just taking other people’s advice (however well-meaning that advice is!).
As for my credibility, well, I’m not sure that was ever in place!! I try not to comment now unless someone specifically asks, or I may say something once, so people do have different options, but then it is up to them as to whether they research that idea further. Certainly people should research things for themselves, or listen to their own body more, rather than just taking other people’s advice (however well-meaning that advice is!).
Ultimately, what matters most about the mistakes, or failures, that we make, is that afterwards you can pick yourself up, dust yourself down, and move onwards and upwards, with a little more knowledge than you had before. I think I’ve just about got that covered! I’m sure I’ll go on to make many more mistakes, but you know, so what?
Hope you enjoyed my ramblings! Remember, this is just me ‘thinking out loud’, and if you feel like it, then share some of your ramblings below in the comments. Take care x
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