There are things about my relationship with my body that I will only ever tell my therapist. Things that I struggle with and hope to overcome but that are proving very hard to get beyond. I really feel that exercising a lot will help me to overcome some of these issues - or at least take the edge off of them. Who really knows though? It's a mystery to me about how to manage these issues. When I think one strategy is working, the old ways of thinking and behaving pop up again. None of my theories seem to really be true and none of my solutions seem to ever work. I know this is all very secretive, but that is my own choice. It doesn't matter what the particualr issue/behaviour/thought pattern is because most women and some men struggle with issues of body hatred that manifest in a wide variety of ways.

I am going to try a 6 week plan to help break out of some habits that make the situation worse. This isn't a solution but just a way to get rid of some unhealthy habits around food.

I am going to try to eliminate one of these habits every week until I get to the third week when they will all be gone and then I am going to try three weeks without any of them. I'll see where that leaves me. And in addition to all of this I am going to keep up my attempts to exercise every single morning.

week one: Stop late night snacking (which is never about hunger) and staying up late (don't snack after dinner, go to bed by 11:30pm most nights)

week two: Stop grazing; eat two snacks and three meals and don't munch in between

week three:  Cut out sugar (I'll make an exception for my birthday) including cane sugar, maple syrup, honey, agave, dates, and other dried fruit

week four: stop emotional/bored eating; when I feel it coming on, go for a walk or run, meditate, do yoga, or have a bath

And here is the exercise schedule I'd like to follow

Monday: run 5km
Tuesday: boot camp and/or swim (belly dance in the evening)
Wednesday: hot yoga
Thursday: power class and/or swim
Friday: hot yoga
Saturday: run 8km (and maybe zumba!)
Sunday: run 12-16 km