I did it!

[Aliking99]

My impetus for starting this program was to get ready for a tropical vacation in December. I had been following a Paleo type diet for a couple of years but allowed myself to “cheat†more and more often until finally what I was eating bore no resemblance to any sort of structured eating plan. I spent a lot of time last winter drinking and eating way too much pub food. Then came summer and all of the parties. After gorging at a party on August 24^th I decided I needed to get back in control.

I already knew I was lactose intolerant, gluten sensitive and a major sugar addict. I drank Pepsi every day. I had what I called “coffee-flavored sugar milk†every morning. On weekends I would “treat†myself to a bag of chips and a couple more Pepsis to recover from a festive evening of beer and/or martinis. I hadn't been exercising. I wasn't concentrating well at work. The lack of focus at work caused enough stress to drive me to therapy. As a private-practice attorney with perfection issues my lack of motivation and subsequent poor (in my opinion) performance was causing major distress.

So I just started Monday morning, August 27^th. Right from the start I was “all in†with the food compliance but not really on board with the mental exercises. I was in this to lose weight. I did not take a picture or measurements. I did not articulate any goals. I was probably afraid the results would not be positive. I did weigh myself on the third day so I would have a starting point (I don't own a scale so that was the earliest I could get to it.)

The first two weeks were pretty brutal. It was not hard to stay compliant but I was in a major fog. I think I spent entire days staring out the window at work. I did just enough to get by then went home and went to bed. There were temptations but the 30-day limited time period made it much easier to say no. I am not sure I ever had any cravings but I did have the headache and sluggishness.

Eventually I started to understand the “relationship with food†aspect that everyone was talking about. I started reading labels, making homemade mayo, tossing out everything in my house that I thought I would want after the 30 days. Somewhere along the way I realized that I would never be able to mindlessly eat again. I started to wonder what I wanted to add back in and could not think of anything. The only thing I could think of was that I would like to be able to go to dinner parties or book club and have a bite of a homemade desert without any fuss. I have no desire to s it home alone with a bag of chips and a soda anymore. If I am going to splurge, I want it to have purpose.

As it turns out, the mental transformation was probably more dramatic than the physical. I have certainly lost weight (haven't weighed myself yet). My clothes are looser. My double chin is gone. I have punched new holes in my belts. I started exercising in the last two weeks and my goal is to do so more regularly.

I do not think I have the “boundless†energy some describe but I do have a consistent burn throughout the day. I used to be useless after 3:00 but now I am productive in the afternoons. I am getting caught up on a lot of things that I was avoiding. I have quit therapy (with the blessing of my therapist). I run and play with little kids where before I would sit and watch. I certainly feel like I am participating in my life more than before.

As far as reintroduction, I think I will take the path of “if it is worth it, go for it.†Why mess with a good thing?

[Renee Lee]

mmmmm, coffee-flavored sugar milk.

great job! your mindset on reintroduction is perfect! good luck! Just tread carefully with that come holiday time. I know MY turkey day dessert table has a lot of things that SEEM worth it at first glance.

[sydneyjn]

Congratulations! What a great feeling to hit that tipping point!

[Aliking99]

mmmmm, coffee-flavored sugar milk.

great job! your mindset on reintroduction is perfect! good luck! Just tread carefully with that come holiday time. I know MY turkey day dessert table has a lot of things that SEEM worth it at first glance.

I have spent the past three Thanksgiving mornings volunteering at a shelter with my dad (hoping to get the rest of the family involved but they prefer to sleep in). We are the suckers who agree to peel squash all morning. By the time we leave we can't even hold a fork so that helps! However, the entire holiday season is kind of a nightmare at the office with all of the stuff people bring in. Hoping to be very strong during that time this year!!!

[Derval]

Great wrap up Ali!