Takeaways from my first W30 and month after

[abC]

I finished my 1st W30 on April 23.  In the course of the month, i lost 3 measly pounds, my period came 4 days later than my standard 28-day cycle, and my cramps were nearly undetectable.  The frequency and quantity of my BMs both lessened (sorry if that's TMI).  I was less bloated and my abs are starting to show.  I slept thru the night without waking at all.  Overall, pretty good gains for being relatively very healthy to begin with.

 

In the last 6+ weeks, i've reintroduced everything, and the 1st few days were downright painful, but since then it's been ok.  I can definitely say some things just aren't worth eating anymore and my tastebuds have changed.  I eat "clean" at least 18 out of 21 meals per week.  My cramps came back, though still better than pre-W30.  i think the culprits of my cramps are gluten and/or sugar...  I've noticed that i can eat less now and rarely get hungry.  I've realized that family-style dining is 'food w/o brakes' for me and i will over-eat, especially if it includes grains.  On days that i do include non-approved foods, i do notice that i wake up in the middle of the night, but as soon as i'm clean for a few days straight, i'll sleep til the alarm goes off.

 

I really wanted to get back into Greek Yogurt for breakfast, but i found that it wasn't filling enough.  and then i read an article on whey acid, a by-product when making greek yogurt, and how it's basically a chemical waste that they can't just dump.  Learning that was the cherry topper to say no more yogurt. =(  i don't want to be a part of producing that kind of waste.  So sad...

 

i tried ramen last week, and whoa!  the next morning I looked like i was 4 months pregnant!  i guess that means no more noodles for me (at least not at dinner.  i might try it at lunch to see what happens at some point.)

 

i miss sushi for the rice and soy sauce.  but i did discover a fantastic way to have a spicy scallop handroll.  i asked my sushi chef to replace the rice w/ shredded cabbage.  it was absolutely delicious!  i highly recommend it as a post-W30 treat cuz the spicy/mayo part isn't approved.  i can't wait to ask him to make other kinds of rolls this way too!

 

We make homemade ice cream cuz if we're gonna eat 'crap', we might as well eat the best kind of it, and we can control the amount of sugar.

 

The few times that i just let myself eat a chocolate bar or a bag of chips, it was so dissatisfying that i really had to ask myself was it worth it?  and as much as my brain wanted to believe it was, it was not.  A part of me is very sad about that, but at the same time, i know i'm in a much better place.

 

Overall, i love W30/paleo.  Thank you for teaching me and changing my views on eating.  I'm a true believer and preach it like it's the gospel to anyone who will listen.  I'm completely disheartened when i get the response of "I'm healthy enough that i don't feel like i need to give up or change what i'm eating," but it just dawned on me that i was exactly that way before i read ISWF!  ISWF has changed mine and my husband's life.  We will never go back to eating the way we did.