kaiser179 Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 I wanted to share my experience about doing my first Whole 30. I am writing this story on Day 31 while I enjoy 2 eggs fried in ghee over a bed of fresh spinach, a half of a compliant chicken sausage, and half a large tomato .. because of I want to! (my mind is blown!) My back story I am a 35 year old, full-time working mom with a toddler. I started the W30 at 164.2 pounds but I am only 5'0â€, so it is a lot of weight for me. The BMI scale shows that I am obese, which is a mortifying realization (I realize that the BMI scale may be inaccurate, but still!). I gained this weight through a really SAD lifestyle impacted by hypoglycemia and high stress. Two years ago I was tipping the scale at 182 pounds and then got pregnant. I ended up at 204 pounds at the end of the pregnancy. During my third trimester I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and at the end suffered from high blood pressure and started to go into kidney failure. Luckily I was able to monitor my blood sugars and controlled the gestational diabetes via diet only, my daughter was born healthy, and I was okay. However I remain at very high risk for type 2 diabetes, especially given my family history. The gestational diabetes was really tough physically and emotionally. I went to a nutritionist and an endocrinologist during my pregnancy. Some of the advice that these “professionals†gave me is very SAD. “Eat Lean Cuisine†“Try 100 calorie snack packs†I knew that the advice was ridiculous. After my pregnancy, I tried to eat better (ie: oatmeal, cottage cheese, lean meats, steamed veggies) but I was always really hungry and crabby – not a good combination. The longest I could seem to stick to a diet was 5-6 weeks at the most before I would lose my mind and binge on carbs. I was calorie deprived and clearly not getting enough healthy fats or starchy veggies. No wonder I was miserable! How I found Whole 30 I had been searching for a new way to start eating better and was interested in Paleo. I bought Well Fed to see if I could embrace the lifestyle. I checked out the author's webpage and found all sorts of interesting links, including the link to Whole9Life. I read the testimonials about the Whole 30 and was intrigued. I lurked on the forum for a week or so and decided to dive in. My Whole 30 It was a roller coaster but definitely worth it! The first couple of days were tough – I dealt with a lot of carb cravings. I read other people's food logs on the forum and realized I needed to increase my fat/protein. Once I embraced the idea of eating more and not really worrying about calories, I felt much better and my energy level increased. Some days, I was on top of the world and so empowered, then the next day I would struggle with intense cravings and was very emotional. These ups and downs continued throughout my W30. I realize that this is a huge lifestyle change and will take more than 30 days for my mind and body to heal. I also dealt with some obstacles during my W30. My husband and toddler share a diet of pizza, chicken nuggets, cereal, and crackers. This food remained in the house during my W30. I struggled sometimes, but I never caved. I also went out to eat three times and attended a bridal shower and a baby shower. It is really hard to find compliant food that you did not prepare, but I got through mostly unscathed. I have a feeling there were a few minor slip ups that I wasn't aware of, but I did the best I could in each situation. My W30 might not have been perfect, but I never intentially had something non-compliant. I never caved to the cake or desserts, never had the alcohol that was offered, etc. at these special events. The Good Overall my mood is much more even. My temper does not flare as easily. I feel genuinely happy more often than I used to. My confidence is much higher because I feel more in control of my eating and not ashamed of my inability to get off the carb binge roller coaster. I don't feel the need to snack that often (which is huge for me!) I feel satisfied at meal time and have been doing great with 3 meals a day. My blood sugars have been pretty consistent as I fine tune how many carbs to eat each meal. I feel so empowered by treating myself well and focusing on nutrient dense foods. I have a lot more energy and don't have that mid-afternoon crash. I tried new foods and found that I really like kale, and roasted veggies are awesome! I lost 7.5 pounds and inches everywhere. I lost 1.5 inches from my hips, 1 inch from each thigh, and I am down a pants size! The Bad My sleep has been disrupted. Pre W30, I slept well. During W30, I had some difficulty falling asleep/staying asleep. I am playing with ratios of carbs/fats/proteins, particularly at dinner, to see what helps. I also need to be better about eating within one hour of waking. I had leg muscle spasms at night. I added a little more salt to my meals and a couple of bananas a week. The sodium/potassium has helped, and I haven't had any more issues. I had really bothersome menstrual cramps for the entire second half of the W30 on a daily basis. This is very unusual for me. I seem to be going through a lot of hormonal changes while my body is healing. I am hopeful these symptoms will go away soon. What I learned W30 can be embraced as a lifestyle. I bought groceries and did my normal Sunday cook-up this past week, planning for the entire week. I forgot that I was coming up on Day 30 on Tuesday. This is just how I eat now. The realization is huge! My eating habits influence my family. My husband and toddler did not participate in the W30, but they often ate what I was eating because it looked good to them. I got the chills when I understood how influential I can be to others. “Treating†yourself should not involve food that is bad for you – there is no logical connection between feeding yourself something toxic and rewarding yourself. Plus, why do rewards have to be food based? I am still trying to wrap my brain around this one! I don't need to weigh myself multiple times a day. That type of behavior is unhealthy. I am not ready to pitch my scale yet, but my goal is to weigh myself only once a month. My next step I am going to wrap up a W32, then offroad a little for an extended weekend, and then right back on for a second W30. I had originally envisioned a carb feast at the end of my W30, but now that seems downright silly and stupid. However I will enjoy being able to go out to eat and not worrying if there was a little noncompliant oil on the grill when I order a steak. Maybe I'll have a bun with a burger. I also really missed drinking Coke and am curious to see how it tastes to me now. I am hopeful that it tastes gross so I can stop mourning it! During my next W30, I will try to incorporate more organic veggies and grassfed meat. I ordered some new fats (tallow, duck fat, coconut butter) which should be arriving soon. I am also purchasing organic spices as I deplete my supply. I really enjoy reading about other people's experiences on the forum and will continue to take little baby steps to create a healthier lifestyle! This is such a supportive space to share with each other - I am so grateful to have found Whole 30! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andria Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 This is great! Good for you! I am having the same energy roller coaster you describe and I am sure it is tied to sleep as mine has also worsened during my Whole 30. I totally agree: why do we, generally speaking, consider bad foods as rewards? Yes. I am still trying to wrap my brain around that one, too....as I dream about a giant Crumbs cupcake at the end of my Whole30 :-/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazel Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 Wow, I needed to read this. My backstory has a lot of similarities including gestational diabetes . Congrats on your achievement and well done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhenkin Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I loved ready about your experience. Thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaiser179 Posted May 29, 2013 Author Share Posted May 29, 2013 Thanks everyone for your supportive comments! I found reading success stories really helpful while I was in the beginning of my first W30 and dealing with the "kill all things phase" . It gets better! I am already on my second W30 and it is easier than my first. Cravings are minimal, sleep is better, and I feel so good about the food I am eating. Dumping the guilt about eating bad food is a huge weight off my shoulders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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