Today is my last day

[DigitalDebbo]

Well, I took the liberty of weighing myself a day early and I have lost around 10-14lbs (my scales are not the most reliable so can't be sure what I was when I started or what I am today...should buy some new ones!).

 

I think the one thing that I will continue with is a very low sugar diet.  During my whole 30 journey I have watched both "Fed Up" the documentary and Robert Lustig's lecture that is available on Youtube about sugar.  I recommend both.  If I have learned anything it is that low fat is low health.

 

Tomorrow I will reintroduce dairy and I don't foresee any problems there.  I am looking forward to it.  I miss cheese!

 

I was hoping to see an end to my hip pain but sadly it is still here.  It isn't debilitating but a nuisance.  I have suffered lower back pain for most of my adult life and I think it is weight related rather than food related.  At the end of the day even with losing a not too shabby 10-14lbs, I still have around 40lbs to lose, a great deal of which I carry round my stomach so no wonder my poor hips are sore.

 

This has been a great start for me.  It has shown me that I don't need to snack, I don't need sugar, 30 days without sugar (other than fruit and dates) has been an awesome eye opener.  The things I miss aren't really foods per se: I miss going out for dinner and going to the pub.  I started this thinking I would end it on a complete Paleo diet but I changed my mind about 10 days in.  I do want to have a low carb high fat diet for 80% of the time.  I want to be able to go out for dinner and a glass of wine the other 20% 

 

Whether that is feasible and whether I will undo all my hard work in that 20% of the time: I don't know.  I will see how it goes and how I feel.

 

Being healthy shouldn't always be about what you eat so I have started hiking again (after a gap of too many years!).  I am doing short ones just now but am joining a local hiking club at the end of the month and will go on my first over 10k hike on April 30th.  I have learned a most valuable lesson from documentaries and books that I have read in the past few months and I shall happily share it with you:

 

Do not exercise to lose weight: exercise because it is good for you and makes you feel good.  That whole calories in, calories out thing?  It is all a bunch of %$@*!!

 

Simple!

 

It is amazing how much more relaxed you feel about exercising when you get that in your head.

 

In summary, my plan for now is:

 

• Hike.  A lot.  Thank goodness winter is over (am in Ontario, Canada)
• Eat what I enjoy and start reintroducing foods.
• Aim for 80%/20% mostly low carb/high fat/extremely low sugar diet
• Be sensible with alcohol, especially grain based alcohol (in the interests of being fully transparent, I am booked up to go to a beer festival in June....booked before I started whole 30...ummmm....oops??)