Will I Ever Learn?

I've mentioned that I haven't been eating very well lately and yesterday it caught up with me.  Major heartburn ALL DAY!

I got it the first time about 8 years ago.  My weight was at an all time high and I was living on a steady 6 meals of fast food a day.  All of a sudden I started getting these pains right in the middle of my chest at the bottom of my rib cage.  I finally went to the doctor after trying Tums and immediately throwing up after taking them. Nothing would stay down without causing immense pain. And I would be up all night doubled over in pain from the pressure in my stomach and the pain in my chest.

Brace yourself...

My doctor told me it was heartburn. I was surprised, because I didn't think hearburn would be so painful. Commercials for heartburn just show people with a little discomfort grabbing their stomach in pain, not doubled over the toilet wondering if they are dying. I was experiencing intolerable pain!  She told me to change the way I ate and prescribed me a month of some prescription acid reducer to help with the flare ups.  She told me no coffee, no soda, get rid of the fast food, start exercising and you should see improvements.

So I did it. I stopped drinking my half pot of coffee a day, drinking soda constantly and stopping at fast food joints every chance I got.  I actually quit caffeine for 2 years. I dropped 50 lbs by doing Weight Watchers and really started to feel good about myself.

The heartburn has come back a couple of times, but it is so painful that I will immediately change my eating habits again...and again...and again.  I keep falling in the trap of eating like garbage and not expecting any
consequences.

Close enough

So, let's do this again. I'm starting Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live Challenge anyway. And this recent flare up just solidifies my need to change the way I eat.  So starting today, I will start with no caffeine: no soda, no coffee.  This is going to be especially difficult, because this week I have to work third shift at work, so my usual meal and workout routine won't be happening this week, but I don't really have a choice but to change.  My body has had enough.

Have you ever had to change your eating habits?