Beets II Electric Boogaloo

[Beets]

Oh and more: I'm staying AIP for awhile, with maybe a glass of wine here or there. I'm finally seeing some real improvement in my ps. And I'm also feeling mentally great, despite being tired. Yesterday I cleaned my apartment. It was so clean my husband didn't believe I cleaned it. Ha! He kept accusing me of having our sometimes cleaning person (blessed, brave woman that she is) secretly come over. 

 

I usually have so much anxiety about a mess, I get overwhelmed and don't know where to start. But I just kept at it, piece by piece. 

 

I also made friends with another AIPer--in real life! He's the dad of my son's friend. They recently struck up a friendship on the playground and so I started talking to him. He has a testimonial in Paleo Mom's book! That's like meeting a celebrity.

 

Seriously, though, It is really nice to talk to another person about this stuff out loud, like it's not a weird secret. He stayed on AIP for a year and a half, strictly, and has stuck with it mostly since then. I felt like such a baby whining about my little 30 days. He also was really sick with an autoimmune disease and is now symptom free. Very impressive. 

 

It's funny bc a few parents on the playground knew I was "doing this crazy diet thing" for 30 days so it kept coming up in conversation. Which has led to many food conversations. Which is how we discovered a mutual appreciation for Paleo Mom. But even when I talk, obliquely, about W30 I never use the word "paleo" because it has such trendoid associations. Anyway. We were totally geeking out about gut healing, fermented foods and inflammation. Good times. 

 

Anyhoo! Lots of thoughts, lots of ground beef and salad and sweet pots and ground beef and cabbage and ground beef and kale. Though I did bust out and make a tiny pot roast at one point and have been really enjoying sardines and kraut. As has my daughter! 

 

Good stuff guys. I'm pretty happy. I want to do a write up but I think I've written enough for now.

[pjena]

I get it.  All it takes sometimes is a thought to get in my head and I can be like that child, too.  So sorry my lapse helped your inner child rebel. You did great getting back on track!

 

I've been struggling with my sleep, too.  It must be something in the air.  The earlier light and birds don't help matters, but they aren't to blame for me waknig at 2am and not falling back to sleep.  They are to blame for not being able to sleep past 5:30am, though.  I seriously want my husband to go shoot that cardinal that mocks me every summer.  (yes, I realize I could solve this problem with ear plugs and a sleep mask - just hard to remember in my zombie state at the time)

 

I like your W26+4 idea.  That means I did a W27+8.  

[Beets]

Yeah so I guess so far I'm 25+4, since I can't count the day I had the wine. (Though it was around midnight. Just joking, mostly.)

 

But I'm sticking with it for now. 

[Beets]

Oh and Jen I had a boyfriend way back when who had really bad sleep issues. He lives in the middle of the woods and is typically a very nature-consious, gentle person. But he did shoot a bird who sang every morning outside his window for months and months. 

[Noelle]

Beets, you've inspired me! I keep simultaneously talking myself into and out of AIP. I think I need to do it to heal, but I just...don't feel like it? But I can't be a busy mom of two AND miserable and inflamed all the time. So, I guess I'm doing it--but not right this second. I like your wisdom about not doing Whole60s or back-to-back Wholes because too much restriction leads to trouble. Definitely my experience.

I'm so happy to have found another Ballet Beautiful-er! I started doing it last year and LOVE the way it makes me feel. "Tall and calm" for sure. I'm just getting back into it this week, but I already feel like my posture is better.

[LadyM]

Man I am so sorry that wine wasn't fucking spectacular.

 

I love that you befriended a real human who has effectively used AIP to heal. That's gold right there. I think one of the reasons I've been so much more successful--and by that I mean struggled less--on this W30 is I did it in conjunction with working with a trainer who touts W30 principles. Having a real human support system in the flesh makes a big diff.

 

Also, honestly (and this is not to give your inner rebel child a reason to eschew W30), I think the thing that's going to most drastically improve your health is your continuing commitment to making photos. Use that gift, flex that creative muscle, stop blocking the artistry that must have its way with you and everything else in life becomes so much more fluid. That's my experience, anyway. And I'm writing that as much for myself as I am for you. My manuscript beckons me to return my attention to it.

 

And a clean house is MAJOR. Yet another external marker of positive movement for you big time, lady.

 

So, WOOT on 25+whatevsdays!

[Beets]

Ok so I'm gonna switch to a Post W30 log. After I wrap this up.

I lost 12 lbs. I feel awesome--room for improvement in terms of getting in shape but I'm really liking the combo of w30 plus exercise. Plus my knee's feeling better. And my back.

I got myself a new pair of jeans, got a haircut, new makeup. Been considering chopping my hair and I finally used the gift cert my mom have me for Christmas and had it done.

My son's school had a dance last night and a couple people exclaimed how great I look. (I was feeling pretty awesome post haircut pre-dance till I went into the store with all the tall, young, perfect Chelsea ladies. Ah well. I hate shopping.)

Totally loving my new hair do though! Weird effect on this photo but not gonna screw w it.

And the dance was super cute! K-5 kids jumping around with two rousing choruses of Let It Go.

However my psoriasis is maybe 15% better.

My scalp has been crazy flaky. Like, I feel like Ally Sheedy shaking out her hair in Breakfast Club--several times a day. Flakiness a little improved. Now just regular (if intense) dandruff instead of potato flakes stuck in my hair.

I'm still hemming and hawing about the derm v naturopath. I'd love to see a naturopath but I am not sure how often I could go ($$$ and no insurance). I'm terrified that the derm will give me a script for a drug that will make me miserable and tired, or make the ps spread. ACk. Can't let fear keep me paralyzed.

I want to take my measurements tomorrow.

There is more. But I'm tired. Prob would feel better if I was sleeping better and/or hadn't lost it right at the end. But, moving on, sticking with AIP.

My new IRL AIPer friend told me about this resistant starch idea. Intriguing. Basically your gut flora needs something to eat. It needs starches that aren't broken down when they reach the gut. Supposedly it'll help sleep better, as it feeds my good gut bacteria.

Anyhoo. Great tuna steaks tonight. Had lunch w my son in a restaurant. My new friend also told me he doesn't Ty to stick w AIP or even paleo when he eats out w his fam. He was like, it's so hard to eat this way, you have to give yourself a break sometimes. I thought of Lady M's off plan meal.

Gotta sleep! Going to log more frequently bc it helps me.

[Beets]

Lady M ,I wish I could like with exclamation your post above.

You are so right about meeting a real person who's been through it. AND the photography.

DELETED, ON SECOND THOUGHT.

Long saga but I do feel like some of this stuff is part of the W30, the coming out of this stuff. It's like a psychological Herxheimer reaction, you have to get all the bad stuff out before you can heal.

[LadyM]

WOW. It's amazing what finally cracks us open, and that we can finally crack open. It's a first step to remember and acknowledge. What comes next is up to you. But trauma is trauma. And yes, I believe the body can hold onto trauma in ways different from what we consciously contain. If you're starting to address this, that means it's time. I am so glad you survived, Beets.

FWIW, I don't think you need to worry about telling your husband about it until and unless you're certain you're ready to. I think when we're in that moment of remembering, again, that first step, the last thing we need is someone else's point of view on the matter, least of all an intimate. A good therapist to help guide you, yes.

And, yes, I totally believe w30 has the propensity to bring us closer to doing and supporting us through deep healing we didn't even realize we needed to do!

Which brings me to congratulations! Your body responds so well to W30, hooray! 12 pounds gone? Awesome. Psoriasis 15% better? What a wonderful movement in the right direction! A rewarding little makeover, uh, yes please! And I also just want to underscore how totally awesome it was that you took your kids to the country and had a wonderful time 100% complaint with your buddies during this W30. So cool. Whole whatevs, you totally rocked it!

Btw, your breakfast club reference made me laugh so hard!

xo