New Here!

[AbiGoLucky]

Hello, everyone!

 

I'm preparing to embark upon my first Whole30, and I thought I'd drop in here to introduce myself.

 

I'm Abi, 25yo grad student and young professional. I work in medical education running a clinical simulation center, and I'm in the process of applying to medical school.

 

I was always a fairly athletic person until about halfway through undergrad, when I began having severe hormone problems. I was diagnosed with PCOS and endometriosis at a very young age, and my endo flared up badly in my early twenties, requiring surgery. Years of hormone therapy (some for maintenance and a couple years of very intense therapies/injections) left me feeling like a stranger in my own body. I completely lost the concept of what 'normal' felt like for me. During my first round of intensive injections and after an unfortunate traumatic event, I entered a very dark period of my life. I grew very depressed and gained about 80 pounds in less than a year, a combination of the medication flooding my system and increasingly poor lifestyle choices. I lost site of myself completely--I stopped playing the piano; I stopped skydiving; I stopped going to yoga; I stopped chasing so many of the adventures that make my soul sing. I let myself and so many beautiful pieces of my humanity shrink away, even as my body mass increased dramatically.

 

Much has changed in the years since then. I've rediscovered the girl I am, and I'm taking daily steps toward the woman I strive to become. I've released so much of the negativity which defined that period of my life; and while I don't feel weighed down by the unseen burdens of fear and despair anymore, I am still carrying the physical weight with me. And I'm done. I'm so, so over it. I've done the work to heal inside, and I'm ready for the outside to match my inner sense of joy, peace, strength, and hope.

 

I bought It Starts With Food and will begin reading it this weekend. I'm in the process of moving across town and have a road trip (HARRY POTTER WORLD YASSSS) and a few short business trips coming up in the next couple weeks, but I've picked a start date. I'm not much of a planner (admittedly spontaneous thrill-seeker right here), but I believe quite strongly that preparation is a key component to success, a quality that has served me well in academia and in my career.

 

That said, this is a call to Whole30 veterans: Please feel free to leave any tips, advice, preparation anecdotes, or words of encouragement in the comments below. I appreciate and value your expertise, and I look forward to the journey!

 

 Abi