Vickie0326's First Whole30

[vickie0326]

I didn't think I was going to create one of these online logs because I figured no one would really care to read this and I could journal on my own. But, after not really journaling and finding it much easier to type than write things down, here's just some random observations and such.

 

I'm on day 8 today. I had been eating a generally low-carb diet (i.e., no pasta, no rice, no bread, etc.) for at least the past two years, so I don't think I had as bad of a first week as some people. But, I definitely missed my dessert after dinner (ice cream!) and my cheese sticks for snacks. But, I got to add fruit back in (not to replace sugar, but as part of my meal), which was pretty nice after shunning it for years on low-carb.

 

Some observations:

 

- My sleep has definitely improved. One of the reasons I actually decided to do the Whole30 is because I was starting to have sleep problems, which is really unlike me. I just moved to a new city and started a new job about six weeks ago, so I was stressed. But, having trouble falling asleep (1-2 hours!) and the restless sleep was just affecting me more and more. So, although I'm still not getting as much sleep as I would like (partly due to my work schedule), when I am asleep, it is a much deeper sleep and I don't wake up as much throughout the night. And, I fall asleep within 15 minutes. Improvement for sure.

 

- I do have more energy. I didn't think I would really see this yet. But, yesterday, I was driving to work and realized that I didn't need coffee. I like black coffee, so I still got a small cup, but only finished half of it. And, when I got to work, I thought, "I should take the stairs." I work on the fifth floor. I would never even consider that before! But, I just did it. The last flight of stairs was definitely slower and I was out of breath when I got up there, but I consider that a NSV. And, when I got home, I still had enough energy to work out AND lift weights (something I've been avoiding for over six months). Placebo effect? Maybe. But, any placebo effect that convinces me to do pushups (albeit, not many and they were rough) is worth it in my book.

 

- My blood sugar seems to be improving. I'm not great at actually measuring this, so I can't really conclude anything yet. But, after being in the pre-diabetic range for the past couple of years (hence, the low-carb diet), I started to notice that it was creeping even further up. On day 1 of the Whole30, it was 145! Yikes. I do NOT want to be on metformin or insulin. Another reason to finish the Whole30. Well, this morning, day 8, and it was 122. Definitely still room for a lot of improvement, but it's in the right direction.

[vickie0326]

I also realized how strong the relationship between my scale and my self esteem is. Today, I was feeling kind of gross and bad about my body - my pants were digging into my stomach a little and I just felt unattractive. My FIRST thought was, "I wonder if I've gained weight" followed by the urge to weigh myself. Why? To either confirm my subjective experience and feel even worse or to be "wrong" and disregard how I felt in the moment and invalidate myself. Wow. Somehow, I had never stopped to realize that. FYI- I didn't do it. I stayed off the scale. I still feel unattractive and fat, but I'm sitting with those feelings and thoughts and trying to show myself some compassion through making a nice, healthy dinner and relaxing while reading a book on the patio tonight.