The first semester of freshman year looked a little bit like this (and I have a feeling that some of you can relate): Eating, getting bored and eating, studying and eating, etc.
Because of a whole new environment and the options of multiple dining spots as opposed to my parent’s cooking, it became difficult to manage my time and eating habits. I did still work out often and ate fairly healthy, but I still never felt good after eating. It eventually got to the point where I felt bloated and tired a lot of the time and started losing confidence based on how I felt.
I went home for winter break and decided I was going to change the way I ate and the way I spent each day. My new attitude regarding everyday health was there, however, I had trouble deciding what lifestyle change would work best with my brain and body.
And then via Cosmo, I discovered "The Khloe Kardashian Diet."
That was it! I was going to cut out all dairy products from my life and any foods that contained dairy. My winter break suddenly turned into a journey.
Now, before I give you all the details—the reason why this worked for me is because I am not the type to be able to maintain the strength to follow a generalized diet plan. It's just not the way my brain works. So with just having one thing to cut out, I became extremely motivated and strong.
Plus, just check her out these days... I mean, c'mon.
On the first day, I walked down to my kitchen, grabbed a protein bar, got in my car and went on my way. "Shoot… a protein bar has chocolate on it and chocolate has dairy," I thought. Clearly, day one was off to a bad start but I still knew that I could do it.
After spin class, I went to get a salad at my favorite spot. Here I made another mistake and put feta and a yogurt dressing on top. At this point, I realized it was going to be much harder than I thought it would be. But the motivation was still there and I had to press on.
Half of week one was done and I finally got the hang of it. I bought a carton of almond milk and relied on that a lot in the beginning. But even after two weeks, I lost the desire to even have “fake dairy products.” I started to feel so amazing and confident each day; my mood improved, my skin cleared up and I was able to eat meals and still feel good after.
I was working out four times a week and maintaining a healthy diet and had never felt better. At that point, it became a lot more about the way I looked at food and my own body, rather than having to remember that I'm on a diet.
I'm now back at school for a second semester and have been able to maintain a non-dairy lifestyle (with the occasional cheat meal here and there). At this point, it is a lot more than just a diet, it's something I've incorporated permanently into my life to better myself. Although I did not turn into a Kardashian, here are a couple things that I learned:
1. Confidence is always something extremely personal that can be attained once you can accept yourself.
2. Although I did lose weight, being able to feel good is a much better feeling than that of seeing a difference on the scale.
I'm not sure if I can promise a booty like Khloe's—but whether or not you try to incorporate a non-dairy diet into your life, I challenge you to make time each day for healthy decisions.