THANK YOU

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

Well, here it is...(drumroll, please): DAY 30!  (Okay, technically I've got M3 left to go today, but there is a window of opportunity as the other members of my household are sleeping).

 

- In thirty (or maybe 44?) short days, I learned to undo DECADES of conditioning that FAT is the enemy (I was the low-fat queen - any recipe you had, I could make a low-fat version.  I'm seriously PISSED at the food industry and government and marketers for selling us this LOW-FAT LIE).  I now eat avocados and/or olives and/or coconut and/or bacon fat and/or ghee and/or nuts (mainly macadamia nuts, followed by cashews) DAILY - whereas previously I only "allowed" them infrequently, and certainly only one of the foregoing per day - you have no idea how revolutionary and liberating it is to treat FAT as a friend.  And I am slowly learning to prioritize the highest-quality fats over my erstwhile beloved nuts and seeds (and related nut and seed butters).  This is (and will be) an ongoing work in progress!

- I have obtained FREEDOM from weighing, measuring, counting and tracking every bite that goes in my mouth.

- I am moving further and further away from a deprive-binge (or restrict-rebel) cycle.

- I am calmer and happier and in an all-around better mood than I was before (my husband can attest to this).

- I am much better at taking rest and recovery days from the gym, vs. "punishing" myself with workouts.  This is linked to learning to honour my body's cues in general.

- I no longer eat (or feel hungry) every 2-3 hours.

- I know that I can "MacGyver" together a compliant Whole30 template meal from even the most obscure Korean convenience stores. 

- I can attend functions/events/social situations and make compliant choices calmly and confidently.

- Oh, and let's not forget the MAJOR accomplishment of the base Whole30 program: DEFINITELY no alcohol, no dairy, no gluten, and no grains for 44 days.  I am deliberately leaving sugar/sweeteners off of list because I took a doctor-prescribed cough syrup with sweetener and unintentionally had one mouthful of a colleague's sweetened coffee.  I am also leaving legumes off the list.  I have not knowingly ingested any legumes, but soy and its derivatives are rampant in South Korea and I may have unknowingly ingested soy (most likely soybean oil) at a Korean restaurant.

- My last can of Diet Coke/Coke Zero was November 1, 2015 and I have had ZERO relapses and ZERO cravings for it.

- I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed about my clothes not getting magically looser, or my muscles suddenly becoming "shrink-wrapped."  But the ability to MAINTAIN my size (not actually sure about weight - I've routinely gone YEARS without stepping on a scale, and it seems I am back to that approach) despite actually cutting back my workouts AND being sick, is actually quite fabulous.  I don't feel a sense of panic that I need to spend 2+ hours a day in the gym come January - if anything, I've learned that that approach would likely stall fat/weight loss!

- Ironically, thirty days has taught me that my life and my health and my physique are all about quite a bit more than thirty days.

 

BUT, all of the foregoing would NOT have been possible without the support of the fabulous community here, and most especially the moderators (I'll list as many as I can remember; my apologies if I don't name you specifically):

 

Tom Denham, Mr. Tough Love himself, whose honesty and integrity and long-term commitment to the Whole30 way of life has been a true inspiration to me.

MeadowLily, for her offbeat wisdom and warmth (no offense intended, MeadowLily).

GFChris, for helping me early on to sort out pre- and post-WO meals (back when I thought an apple with almond butter was an appropriate snack - ha!)

PraxisProject, for the concern that I get compliant coconut milk.

jmcbn, for her patient and knowledgeable replies about fat adaptation.

ShannonM, for also weighing in on the importance of fat.

Brewer5 for her tough love on nuts - I only rebel so much because I know deep inside it's true that I can't continue eating them with abandon.

 

So sorry if I've missed anyone else!

 

And thank you to my Whole30 friends, who have taken the time to read and comment my rambling posts (this one included):

littleg

Alisonlcarver

SimpleNotEasy

ArtFossil

 

Yeesh, I've kinda gotten myself worked up and emotional over this.  Love and peace and health and happiness to you all!  And I'm looking forward to sharing my reintroduction with you.  I know this community will pull me back from the edge if needed if I go overboard with "Paleo" baking (yes, I snicker at the term and like to poke fun at it - I'm sure Paleolithic man was really happy eating his "Paleo" banana bread or chocolate chunk cookie with his morning cup of BPC  ).

 

As always,

 

-Lauren (GGG)

 

[littleg]

I have to run to work... but sniff sniff... you sound so happy in this post  I hope you will hang around here in the Post Whole30 section for a while!

[ArtFossil]

Good on you, Lauren! You had a really challenging 44 days but you successfully navigated the storms and rocks with skill and tenacity.

Those are some terrific, and hard-won, victories.

Here's to you and all of us! Compliant bacon and coconut milk all around! :-)

[Alisonlcarver]

GGG, you are so awesome! A true inspiration! As I was reading your post, I felt that I was watching you receive an award at a prestigious ceremony and I was honored to be mentioned in your awards speech! Haha!

Posting your NSV is such a great idea! You can inspire others, as well as turn back to this post in future days when you need to remember what your 30-day victories were.

I am looking forward to reading about your reintro successes, as well as joining you here in 7 days!