Whole 30 Results/Observations

After the first couple of days of being super irritated about having to avoid cheese- and butter- and stevia- Things got easier. I don't think I ever got to the "tiger blood" stage of the transformation...and considering that Tiger Blood reminds me both of Charlie Sheen and a Sno-Cone syrup flavor, that's probably a good thing.

What I did get:

Amazing sleep. AND occasional naps. My body wanted to sleep. I let it sleep. This tapered off a bit toward the end. 

Weight loss- although that didn't come until super-late in the game. 5 lbs, and a 2% drop in bodyfat (according to my Tanita scale).

Lovely skin- Something I have always fought with. I had one minor breakout (yay, hormones!) in the 30 days. The rosacea has been gone since I gave up wheat a few years ago, but I still always had reddish patches around my nose and between my eyebrows, and I was religious about concealer. After about a week, those slowly began to fade into oblivion. The W30 marks the first time I have ever regularly and voluntarily, gone outside without any makeup on.  Because I felt like I didn't need it. That's huge, for me.

Another crazy thing: I have a small raised scar on my right forearm: a definitive bump, about 1/8 inch in diameter. Since I got it, nearly 10 years ago, it's always been the attractive purplish color of scar tissue, and I hate it. Standing at my desk and typing about 2 weeks in, I noticed that my scar had flattened out considerably, and faded to a less-noticeable pinkish color. I posted something about it on the Whole 30 forum, and evidently, I am not alone. That blew my mind! 

Cravings- gone, with caveats. My tastes changed. There were lots of things (like iced tea) that I would dump stevia into automatically. I learned to drink stuff that was more naturally pleasant-tasting, (passion tea, as opposed to green tea) or just stick with water. After the first two weeks, I was perfectly happy with the unsweetened versions of the stuff I used to add stevia to. I also became obsessed with produce.

Energy- It wasn't until the very end, but I WANT to exercise- something that has never really been high on my priority list. My gift to myself for finishing was a pair of runners and a pair of cross-trainers in fun colors. Bonus: SG wanted a FitBit, and wanted me to get one too. I lost mine long ago, so I insisted I get the new FitBit Flex: which is a bracelet. So it's much harder to lose. I guess it's just been released, and Amazon and Best Buy were sold out. After deliberating further and going over reviews, I got the Jawbone Up instead.  The best part is, I had enough reward points at Best Buy to make it practically free. I am enjoying it quite a bit! (And to be honest, it looks cooler than the Fitbit bracelet.) 

Perspective- All those little things add up. After saying, "What the hell, it's not like I am going to lose weight, I am just glad I am going to be healthy, yes, I'd like truffle fries with that bunless cheeseburger" I have figured out that I can still be flexible- but within parameters. If I am going to indulge, it will be with cheese, or with eating fries that aren't fried in an ideal oil (although that should be the next thing to go out the window). My ice cream fixation seems to be conquered, which is something of a miracle. Sugar is finally out, although I may indulge in Paleo treats on special occasions, like holidays.

As it was, SG begged me to make The Domestic Man's Skillet Pizza last night. The thing is full of cheese- and butter. And a ton of starchy tapioca flour. And sure enough, I cooked it, and it was delicious. But immediately afterward, I felt a strange "heavy" sensation in my stomach. That didn't stop me from eating the leftovers before I went to bed. And this morning, I feel kind of gross. Duly noted.

The Yoga Mat Snafu

I was awakened this morning by yelling and doggie claws skittering, followed by whining and doors slamming.

SG let the dogs out for a constitutional around midnight. Usually they can make it through the night with no problem,  but they began making a racket at 5AM, so he let them out again. I didn't wake up for that one. I woke up for the next one at around 9.

Evidently, the yoga mats I had laid out in order to do my situps and pushups had been defiled. Which is pretty smart for dogs- they knew pooping on the new laminate floors was verboten, so they improvised. Each used a different end of the mat. Let's hear it for teamwork!

SG was kind enough to clean it up before I got out of bed. The house smells really strongly of Method pink grapefruit all-purpose cleaner. The mat in question is still outside on the patio, after being hosed off- awaiting a spin through the sanitizing feature on my new washer. The doggies are outside too. They aren't happy about it, and are much more vocal about their displeasure than the yoga mat. 

I still haven't done my situps. Can you blame me?

Day 2 of the Whole 30 is going well so far. There have been a few near-misses- one having to do with a habit I didn't even realize I had, grazing out of the bag of chocolate chips. Every time I'd see that bag, I would grab a few- which adds up. I ended up putting the bag where I could no longer see it, and voila! One problem solved. Earlier today, SG offered me an Altoid, and I almost took it- then I remembered, not ok.

Other than that, I feel good. I am glad I have a bunch of compliant food "in reserve"- I would much rather not cook or go shopping while I am getting into the groove. From what I have read about it, Days 3-4 tend to be pretty rough. Changing my habits is hard, but do-able. I am realizing just how much I relied on stevia, and recognizing the areas where I had backslid. I am drinking a lot more water too, in place of all the tea (hot and iced) that I used to drink.

The whole (grain and dairy-free!) enchilada

It was probably a mistake to use this picture- *drool*

Yesterday, we were unpacking, because that is what we do. And SG opened a box labeled "Bathroom" and emerged, triumphantly, with the scale.

Oh scale. I didn't miss you, and the 5 months I spent without you have been lovely. But of course, SG has been losing weight effortlessly, and he wanted to program the thing and see how he was doing. Suddenly, he was in our bedroom, exhorting me to step on. "I put in your age and height- just step on, I won't look!" he promised.

I stepped on. And I have gained 10 lbs.

Cue horror. And then bewilderment because...just where the heck have I put it? My pants still seem to fit fine, and my tummy is actually flatter than it was before. I am not even going to turn to that old saw, gaining muscle mass, because it's not like I have been pumping iron. So....

Out came the measuring tape. Mystery solved. All 10 lbs. seem to have migrated south for the winter. My hips, butt and thighs, which I have never worried about (unlike pretty much seemingly every other women in the free world) have both gained at least an inch. Yeah, okay, my tummy and waist are both smaller, which is supposedly healthier. I will take it as an indicator that things are evening out. But I spent most of the evening feeling dejected. I've been so happy to just maintain, and I have to admit that a. I've been lazy and stressed, and my diet has shown that, and b. it's been time to step it up. For a long time. And I haven't done it. And it's time.

So this morning, I wrote all the measurements down, and I stepped on the scale and wrote that number down, and I went to the Whole 30 website and re-read the pertinent parts of the corresponding book. I evidently bought the thing in September- following one truly awful and stressful period of my life, only to jump into another horrible and stressful event after that. And even though I am still dealing with the aftermath of that- No more excuses. Enough!!! If I am going down in flames, I am going to look and feel spectacular doing it, dammit. 

Today I made chicken soup and Curried chicken apple salad, unpacked more boxes (blessedly scale-free) and did some pushups and sit-ups. The goal is to go for a run one day this week, and get some active time in every day. I think the hardest parts will be avoiding the scale for a month, and cutting out stevia, of all things. I am also not thrilled about having to turn the Kerrygold into ghee, which is on the list for tomorrow. And I admit, I will miss cheese. ("and this ashtray....and this-")  But I need to know I can do this. 

Breakfast/Lunch: curried chicken apple salad, carrots, cucumber slices
Dinner: homemade chicken soup

Enough chicken for one day. I think eggs and bacon are on for tomorrow!