It all started after I exhausted myself replacing 3 faucets in September. I was worn down mentally, physically and emotionally. On the way home from a late night Home Depot run, I decided to reward myself with an eating binge of feel-good food. I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and went crazy buying a dozen chocolate chip cookies, a jar of peanut butter and some chocolate bars. I tore into these in the car while driving home and then shoveled the rest of it down asap. Within minutes, I was hit with that warm, relaxing “sugar/dopamine/carb coma” feeling I get from overindulging.
The inevitable headache, racing heart and stomach pains hit me immediately. I ruined my sleep that night and my digestion for the next several days until all the junk food worked its way out of my system.
But I wasn’t done.
Over the next several weeks, I had several binges. I tested my reaction to yogurt, peanuts, almonds, ice cream, peanut butter, cheddar cheese, cookies, pie and bananas. I tried these in isolation and in different combinations to determine if I could safely eat any of my former favorite foods without being hit with uncomfortable physical consequences.
- Was it the sugar causing heart racing?
- Did chocolate give me a headache or was it cheese or sugar?
- Do I really have a dairy intolerance? Can I handle ice cream but not cheese (or vice versa)?
- Could I eat nuts in moderation?
- Do I have a problem with cookies and pie? Or is it only when I eat these with other foods?
I spent hours reading nutritional labels, food blogs and carnivore subreddits. I studied carbohydrate grams, sugar content, and calorie counts.
I gave myself one of the worst months I’ve had in years. I had headaches constantly. My heart raced a lot. My sleep was disrupted. My digestive system was a mess. I was bloated. My sinuses were clogged. My joints ached. I had terrible nighttime acid reflux. My brain was foggy.
After multiple bad results, I decided enough was enough. Although I used to be able to eat all of these foods with abandon, it became obvious that I can no longer tolerate the side effects. It doesn’t matter what I used to be able to eat.
I’d rather feel energetic, refreshed, lean, strong, well-rested and clear headed. I feel too good when eating strictly carnivore to give this up for a few minutes of mouth pleasure and that temporary carb coma feeling.
I don’t know if I have food allergies or if my body is just accustomed to a very restrictive diet. I do know it’s not all in my head – the headaches, heart racing and stomach problems are real.
So I ended my experiments. From my perspective, eating the way I used to is no longer a choice.
When I returned to my strict carnivore diet, everything got easy once again. Grocery shopping takes 10 minutes. I don’t have to waste time studying nutritional labels or consulting the internet to compare foods. I simply follow the plan I developed over the past few years that works for me.
It is quite freeing.
There is a freedom that comes with giving myself only one choice.
I’ve experienced this in other areas of my life:
- I pursued academic excellence in school – focusing on getting straight As, 100% and being top of my class.
- When I had a girlfriend, I was 100% committed. I didn’t cheat. I didn’t look for other options. I turned away from opportunities for temptation.
- As a married man, I was even more committed. There was no way I would cheat, divorce, separate or betray my wife. These actions were never considered – period.
- As an employee I was 100% committed to its success as if I owned the company. No wonder I was able to rise up through the ranks despite my lack of academic credentials and natural sales talent.
When I discovered frugality, minimalism and the financial independence retire early (FIRE) philosophies in the late 2000s, there was an immediate appeal.
Of course there was. Each of these eliminated choices and narrowed my focus to specific goals and ways of life.
I live freely today because of my own self-imposed restrictions of choices.
Occasionally, I’ll experiment, like I did with food last month.
A few years ago, I experimented dating multiple women and using dating apps. It was not for me.
Last year, I experimented with a different training regimen for my swimming workouts. Some aspects were good. Some turned out not so good.
Occasionally, my results lead me down a new path. Other times, they confirm the choice I already made.
A long time ago, my wife asked me what I was thinking about.
My reply was not what she expected because I always kept everything stuffed down deep inside of me.
I exploded with a diatribe of every worry, hurt, grudge, sadness, anger and painful memory I’d been harboring since I was a little kid.
I remember at the time thinking, “I wish I could just think about one thing at a time.”
Now I can. In fact, I designed my life around doing this.
I had no choice.