Dairy free, but not for me

I’m a week into being dairy free. I’d love to say I’m doing it for my health but right now that’s not my reason. I’m testing this for my son. Honestly I think I would have given up if I was doing it for myself. I would have made an excuse and dipped everything in ranch!

I’m not sure at this point in time if dairy is what’s bothering my son. Honestly I may never know. The only possible indicator I have are his diapers and I’ll leave it at that. But, if I can give up dairy to help him feel better then I’m in. This experiment has made me take a deeper look at my own efforts to show myself self love.

At a week in I feel pretty good. I haven’t given in and if I’ve consumed any dairy I don’t know about it. This experiment is pushing me outside of my comfort zone as my food favorites aren’t safe options anymore. This past week I’ve had vegan briani, fish, a BLT+A, and pizza without cheese! These may not sound way out there but to someone who is picky it was big! I have been able to indulge in a lot of sweet treats in the process and try things I never would have chosen to try.

Overall I’ve lost weight and I feel pretty good. Will I continue with this beyond helping my son? I’m not sure. I may ease up because some of my favorite things have dairy but I also have to acknowledge the positive that goes with this change.

It’s funny as parents that something is too hard to do for ourselves or we allow ourselves to quit when it gets hard, but it’s different when our children are involved. What if we started to love ourselves as much as we love our children? Can you imagine? I love my children with a depth I’d didn’t know was possible. Why can’t I love myself to that same depth?

As parents we’re guilty of putting ourselves last. But why? Why can’t we put ourselves second? Why can’t we take care of ourselves before the house? Before the bills? Before social media? I’m guilty of skipping meals to get everything done in a day, but is that OK?

Try another experiment with me. Love yourself like you love your children. Don’t go to bed hungry, don’t use negative self talk, take an extra minute to play! We could all benefit from looking at the world from the eyes of a child, so let’s love ourselves like we love them too. Start with a day and see how it feels. Love deeply, yourself included.