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A whole ton of NSVs


kristin_eats

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I finish my second whole30 tomorrow.  I'm pretty sure I haven't lost weight, but I also didn't need to. I started my whole 30 at 19.3% body fat, 154 pounds and an avid crossfitter.  I haven't weighed myself and I don't plan on weighing myself.  My pants still fit the same and my abs aren't any more defined, but my results are measurable in other ways.

                First, a little background.  I am about nine months post-surgery for a parathyroid carcinoma that resulted in the loss of the majority of my thyroid, my thymus, the lymph nodes in my neck, a whole bunch of muscle from the front of my neck, and a tumor the size of a hard-boiled egg. My kidneys failed twice during this time. My recovery from the surgery was fine but my energy was extremely low for months afterwards. Which led to a 5 or 6 cups of coffee a day habit just to keep me going. The cancer also caused osteopenia (I'm 29 years old).  Additionally, I have lean PCOS.  Without birth control, I have never menstruated.  Not irregular- never. 

                My diet pre-whole30 had been mostly primal (I still included dairy and some rice) for about a year.  I was a major sugar junkie and would stuff myself until I felt a lot of self-loathing at least once a week with paleo-fied treats in the form of brownies, non-dairy icecream, and whatever other sugary goodness I could get my hands on.  Afterwards I would feel awful about myself and try to eat as little as possible… which would lead to me being hungry which would lead to another sugar fueled binge.

                Enter the whole 30.

                What feels better now?

  • -stable energy.  1-2 cups of coffee a day, no crushes and no urge to nap.
  • -I wake up ready to go in the morning
  • -my dry skin is gone.  I actually had to switch from moisturizer for extremely dry skin to just normal lotion.
  • -my skin glows.  I've actually gotten compliments on it.
  • -PRs in the gym.  Hit a 303lb deadlift (323 got off the ground and to about my knees before I dropped it for safety), as well as a few seconds off my 500 meter row for 1:46.8
  • -I sleep like I'm dead and have really excellent dreams
  • -I'm friendlier and more pleasant at work.
  • -my nails are a lot stronger. I can actually tell where my whole 30 nails start because the new growth is so much smoother, stronger and pinker than the old growth.
  • -I swear my hair is growing faster.
  • -I had exactly one episode of gross over-eating on the whole 30, and it happened during the first week. I ate past the point of fullness on whole30 approved foods, and the next day made myself get back to eating according to the meal plan, no restricting.  It didn't happen again.  Also these foods are so satisfying that my "binge" consisted of an additional sweet potato, an extra palm of protein and half an avocado. Hardly a disaster.
  • -Plantar fasciitis isn't bothering me. It's just magically gone.
  • Going to the bathroom is regular and easy (it uh, hasn't always been).

 

                Things that I don't know are better but suspect are:

  • -I'm pretty certain that my bones will have shown some rebuilding at my next dexa scan. I just haven't been able to get one in the last few days.
  • -I'm on birth control so I don't know if my periods would show up on their own.  I suspect that with more time on a whole30 they would.

 

                What really helped make my whole30 successful?

  • I ate hard veggies, like brussel sprouts, for breakfast along with fat and protein and saved carb sources like fruit and potatoes for later in the day. I think this helped with my bloods sugar.
  • I packed a lunch and brought it to work every day. No guessing or being at the mercy of what was in the cafeteria.
  • I ate to the high end of the meal guide at every meal. I didn't want to be hungry and trigger a binge. I ate until I was FULL at every meal.
  • I had the support of my crossfit gym and my family was on board with anything that would help my health.
  • Near daily bone broth to strengthen my bones and I also think it helped kill a lot of my cravings.
  • I supplemented with magnesium and vitamin D

 

I definitely plan on continuing.  Getting rid of whey post workout and eating real food as well as eating a large and veggies filled breakfast were game changers.  I was worried my gym performance would suffer eating this way but the fact that I'm stronger and faster is incredible.  I'm excited for my next few doctors' appointments to see if my blood markers and bone density have improved.  There's really nothing I didn't like about the program.  Yes, it takes planning and can be time consuming.  I actually enjoyed the extra time in the kitchen. I learned that I find cooking meditative and relaxing and that my home cooking tastes way better than anything I got at restaurants.  It can feel isolating to not drink in social situations, but I've found that saying I'm doing everything I can to support my health is a pretty good excuse.  I feel better than I have in years and while I'll probably stop checking labels for added sugar on my bacon, I don't plan on changing much of anything.

 

 

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