KelseyClaire

Based on other people’s posts I think I’m doing this right (replying to my topic to continue the log). I’m in the midst of trying to reset my sleep cycle. I’m a major night owl (so naturally I’ve chosen a profession that requires me to up and at work by 7:30 am, smart) and working from home has allowed me to get really crazy with my sleep pattern. I had gotten to a point where normal bedtime was between 2 and 3 am and then I would sleep until noon. I’ve been physically going to bed earlier, but having a terrible time actually falling asleep. Usually, I listen to an audiobook and play a coloring app on my phone as my bedtime wind down. Last night I ditched the app and tried actually coloring. It seemed to help. I fell asleep in about an hour, as opposed to two or three hours. I’m going to stick with that strategy again tonight and see what happens. Even though I haven’t been sleeping that well, my energy is pretty stable and I’ve been able to get a lot done during the day. My other small victory is hydration. I am teeeeeeerrible at drinking enough water. Sometimes it’s 1 in the afternoon before I realize I haven’t had a sip of liquid all day. I’m like a camel, except I’m not storing water, I’m just dehydrated all the time. I’ve started putting cucumber slices in water and putting it in the fridge in the evening. In the morning, it makes for a very tempting and refreshing treat (I don’t have AC). It’s been working really well, I’ve been drinking way more. It seems if I start the day drinking water, it’s easier to keep it going throughout the day. Alright, off to bed to color and hopefully fall asleep even faster tonight.

I think a lot of people’s typical junk food patterns got wildly out of wack during quarantine. Sounds you’re doing an awesome job refocusing and getting ready for Whole30!

Yay compliant day! I struggle with food logging, too. My little rebel heart needs rules to break, so I’m happy to let it feel like it’s getting away with something.

Totally jealous that you’re going virtual! Based on the school committee meeting today, I think we’re going to stumble through a hot mess hybrid until we inevitably go remote again anyway. Sigh. Ah, the joys of public school.

Hello! I’m on day 6 of my 5th or 6th Whole30 and I’m doing it differently this time. One of the things that entails is being active in the forum, so hello! I guess on this first post I’m just going to dive right into the psychology, since meal prepping and staying on plan aren’t the struggle anymore. I know I can do that part. I know my blog title might earn me a few side eyes, but 1. It’s a reference to the band Fatboy Slim and a nod to college nostalgia and 2. I’ve always identified as a fat girl, even before I actually was one. I’m 5’9” and I’ve been 5’9” since the 6th grade. I towered over my classmates. I was taller than some of my elementary school teachers. In old dance recital pictures, I look like Godzilla among the fairies. I was always bigger than everyone around me. Hard not to internalize that, I guess. I’m also SUPER well-endowed, and again, have been since the 6th grade. The first real bra I remember shopping for was a C cup. I felt enormous in middle and high school, but looking back at pictures, I really wasn’t. It was just that most of my visible world was my massive chest, so I felt like all of me was massive. I was an introverted, rebellious, weird little theater kid, and identifying as “the fat girl” and metaphorically and literally sticking the finger to the skinny bubbly popular girls became an important part of my identity. It’s still a pretty important part of my identity. I started belly dancing about 8 years ago partly because it fascinated me and I really wanted to, and partly because being a fat, sexy dancer and flying in the face of societal norms really appealed to me. Oh really? Fat girls can’t be hot? Look at this shimmy, LOOK AT IT!! I joined a CrossFit style gym and started weight lifting because I really loved watching people’s jaws drop when their assumptions that since I’m fat, I must also be weak got blown out of the water. So I want to be very clear that I am not fat-shaming myself or anyone else. I love my fat body, and I have also realized that it’s really not serving me anymore. I’ve slowly been gaining weight since college, averaging about 10 pounds a year. I was starting to feel like things were getting out of control, and then the pandemic happened. Things got rooooough. Things were definitely out of control. Depression hit hard (shout out to Whole30ers battling mental health issues!) The gym shut down. Dance classes were cancelled. I’ve gained 30 pounds since March. Yikes. I’m exhausted, my clothes don’t fit, my family is worried about me, and for the first time since middle school, I feel like a prisoner in this body instead of a proud, fierce, joyful badass. I’m not a fan. So I’ve returned to Whole30. I’ve done it before, but I always treated it like a crash diet. I skimmed the website for the rules, but didn’t educate myself about the science. I’ve never done the reintroduction phase. I’ve never engaged with the community. I’ve never made lasting changes to my life style. This time, the goal is to do it differently. I’m reading the books, I’m committing to the reintroduction phase, and I’m using this forum. The goal is actual, real, lasting change so I can feel like I’m in control of my life again. The goal is energy and clearing brain fog and fighting off depression. And yes, definitely weight loss. I’m 33 years old, and I’ve finally decided that it is time to Do The Thing. Let’s go!

Your doctor’s suggestion is surprising to me, too. I’m surprised they would even do it for that little weight. I’m also about to get back on the C25K bandwagon! I just finished assembling my new elliptical this afternoon.

Awesome! Thank you!

Hi! I’m winding down the end of my 6th day of Whole30, but this is not my first rodeo. This is the... 4th? Possibly even the 5th or 6th Whole30 I’ve done over the past six years. I’ve basically treated it like a crash diet, ignoring the re-introduction phase and never engaging with the community (as you are repeatedly encouraged to do). Not surprisingly, none of the habits have stuck longer than a moth or two and my weight has steadily inclined while my overall health and well-being decline. I do feel amazing on the Whole30 and I know a mostly paleo diet works really well for me. And yet... Real, long-term food habit changes have just not happened. They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. So this time I am doing Whole30 by the book. Literally, I bought the book. Several, actually. I’m committing to the re-introduction protocol at the end and I am here posting in the forum for the first time ever to actually attempt to engage with a community. I’m an introvert, and a bit of rebel. I like doing things on my own. But what I’ve learned is that this is one thing I can’t do by myself. Are there any other folks out there like me who have been wary of the forum or who have done multiple Whole30’s but still struggle with long-term changes? I’d love to meet you!