Finished my FIRST Whole30

[GonnaMakeIt!!]

I received my Day 31 email today, so you know what that means. I finished a Whole30!  I plan on extending for at least a week before doing the re-intro phase.  FYI, I'm a mid 50's male and have yo-yo'd my entire adult life.  My track record includes nationally known weight lost programs, two different local hospital-sponsored low-calorie, physician-supervised liquid programs, etc.  The lowest I have been in my adult life is 206 (I'm 5'9") and the highest 265.  I'm usually in the 250 range.  I was on blood pressure meds for a few years and came off them in the fall of 2012 when I "succeeded" on the last hospital diet and my blood pressure returned to normal. Of course I have gained it back, and of course the blood pressure returned.

 

Blood pressure is what scared me into doing the Whole30 (a work friend did it last spring) and I did not want to go to my doctor and get back on the meds. I HAVE to beat this.   So a few thoughts....

 

1) I cannot believe how I feel. The mid-afternoon yawns have been gone for at least two weeks.

2) I slept a full 8 hours last night. Maybe that has happened 10 times in my adult life?

3) My blood pressure was 150/95 when I started.  Last night, it was 112/78.  Really!!!

4) The scale: I followed the rules and did not weigh a single time.  It was liberating to NOT weigh, and focus on different aspects of my health. On the hospital plans, the FIRST thing you do on your weekly visit is go to the weigh station.  I did notice my belt getting loose (two notches by the time the month was over), and my wife always sees weight loss in my face first.  Bottom line: I started the Whole30 at 249 and this morning I am 238.2 

5) Bloat is gone.  BM's are NORMAL.  This is a huge change that I won't describe further. 

6) Red splotches on my face are going away. 

7) I have learned some great cooking skills, like clarifying butter and making my own mayo! And I am loving the variety that is truly available when you learn to eat healthy.

8) My acid reflux is GONE.  I took a Zantac two times the first week, and that's all. Previously, I had one at least daily. NEVER two days without one.  I was even on the purple pill for a few years, until the last liquid diet. 

 

What was/is hard?

1) The first week was very hard, withdrawing from sugar and my just plain bad eating. Some lethargy, dragginess, etc. And for some reason, about day 14 was another wall. I have not had that on the liquid diets, because even those packets have sugar in them.

2) Changing my schedule to accomodate cooking and dealing with whole foods. I had NO IDEA how much time processed foods save us.  I am learning shortcuts (cooking several days worth of such and such). But, the time is worth it.

3) Bread.  Except when I was on the liquid phase of the hospital diets, I have never gone a day without bread.  I LOVE BREAD.   But, having read ISWF and gaining education on wheat and other legumes, I now believe I will just stay off bread. I'll do the re-intro just to make sure, but I'm convinced it is where the reflux came from.

4) Dairy: It SCARED me to not have dairy for calcium's sake. But, again, the education I have received convinced me.  And I plan on sharply reducing dairy after re-intro, if not eliminate it.  Even the Kefir I had started using before Whole30, which says it is 99% lactose free, has sugar in the ingrediens. Boo.

 

I have loved the forum and following others. It is great to have a community to folllow. Your stories and ideas are encouraging. Thanks all!

 

[Tj V]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing. I needed the inspiration.

[look_alive]

CONGRATS!!

[BillS]

Great job and congratulations! I concur with your theory about bread. Eating a big loaf of sourdough or a major portion thereof is the fastest way for me to get heartburn. That's one of those lessons I periodically have to relearn.

[Angie Cooper]

Well done.

[gardengirl]

This looks like the beginning of a longer success story!