orca_chick Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Today is my 31st day of my 4th Whole 30 and I can honestly say I had true success this time around. I didn't realize it at the time, but the past 3 times I haven't been entirely honest with myself. I didn't always trust the template, ate more fruit that I really needed, and continued to feed that sugar dragon rationalizing that fruit is a complaint food. Yes, I've lost weight and had good physical results the past 3 times, but each time I was counting down the days until I could have that glass of wine...the piece of chocolate...the "paleo" cookie because that's less "bad" than the real thing. This time around, I'm not sure what shifted for me. I followed the template to a T. I ate 3 meals per day at the upper end of the template. I didn't focus so much on the physical changes but rather the journey of healing my body after 2 really stressful years in grad school and then marathon training. And you know what? My sugar cravings are gone. I wasn't counting down the days until I could have a glass of wine, chocolate, or whatever other non-compliant food struck my interest. I didn't feel deprived and I had no problem saying no to non-compliant foods simply because I just wasn't interested in eating them. It's day 31 and normally I'd be adding half and half back into my coffee but I didn't this morning. This is a huge NSV for me! Now for the physical changes. I lost 6lbs in 30 days. I had been stuck fluctuating between the same 3-4 lbs for months and I was running and working out like crazy trying to get the scale to move. I lost a pant size in my first 10 days and am continuing to lean out. I fit back into a dress that I haven't been able to wear since 2012, which is a huge victory! I lost at least 1 inch off my waist (I feel a little bloated today so I will probably re-measure in a week or so, gotta love those female hormones some days). My skin is clear. My energy level is great. I'm not moody (most days). And generally, I sleep better but definitely still struggle in that area. I'm hoping that I'll continue to see improvement in my sleep as I stick with the template. I just want to encourage others that may not have had the experience that they wanted the first or second time around to stick with the program. Sometimes it takes more than one attempt and it is absolutely worth it! Each attempt allowed me to learn something new about myself and I think that's what helped me this time around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orca_chick Posted March 31, 2016 Author Share Posted March 31, 2016 I should add that I also changed my exercise habits since I mentioned that I was working out like crazy prior to this Whole 30. I've still remained very active (CrossFit 4-5 days per week and the occasional 3-5 mile run), but there wasn't that need to push or punish myself because of my weight or food choices. If I needed the extra rest day, I listened to my body instead of pushing it and causing extra stress. On my runs, instead of pushing for milage, I ran as far as I wanted and just enjoyed my experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marjanill Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 Great success, orca! Were your Whole30's back to back or spaced out over time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LydiaJo Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 Way to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orca_chick Posted April 5, 2016 Author Share Posted April 5, 2016 Great success, orca! Were your Whole30's back to back or spaced out over time? Mine were spaced out over time. I did my first in September 2012, second in January 2013, and 3rd in January 2014. I definitely fell off the wagon hard after January of 2014 and it's taken me a while to get back on. I was in grad school and super stressed which definitely didn't help me make good food choices. It wasn't until I saw my graduation photos last May that I realized how far I had drifted from being healthy. I eased back into paleo eating and working out over the summer of 2015 and followed the macro counting for a while, which was effective initially but too difficult for me to maintain. I ran a marathon in February and decided that it was time to get back to really eating for health and watching my stress levels. It was also beginning to be too easy to have gluten-free pizza or that extra cocktail simply because I had run 15 miles that day, which is a mentality that had gotten me in trouble before. This time everything just seemed to make sense. I have to admit that I went out to celebrate my brother's bday last night and I was so proud of myself. The restaurant he chose is known for their unusual and fun cocktails and I had planned on having one if that's what I chose to do. My brother ordered the one I had wanted to try, a champagne slushy, and I ended up taking a sip of his and not ordering one. It was so easy for me to decide it wasn't worth it and stick with water, which is a huge victory for me! I've never been able to just walk away and still be satisfied before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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