It Is So Much More Than The Scale

[LAO]

The scale!  It’s been calling me for months.  Oh why did I succumb?  This time the number on the calendar had a hold on me.  It instantly convinced me it was time to weigh in.  After all, I had not been on the scale since December 28!  My clothes were feeling loose, and I even had to get a new bra so surely there had to be a big number loss, right?  Imagine my surprise when it only reflected 11 pounds?  17 weeks and only 11 pounds?  Wait, what???  What happened?  Where is the 20 – 25 pounds lost that I imagined?

As I took a day to reflect, I really took the time to think about the past 17 weeks.  Prior to W30, I would have immediately felt defeated and headed straight to the kitchen for a MAJOR binge and which would have put me in a serious food coma!  I have been fighting disordered eating issues for 30+ years!  But this time was different!  I didn’t even have that feeling which was a HUGE NSV for me!

So what happened?  I reminded myself that that was just a number that gives me information about my health, it does not define me.  Then I decided to look at my journal and gather data from the past 17 weeks.  Here is what I found:  8 weeks of 100% compliant eating!  Then four weeks of throwing in the towel and letting my Sugar Dragon be in charge and believe me, she was having a major hold on me that I had a hard time getting out from under.  Followed by two weeks of half ass compliancy and reintroduction followed by three weeks of 100% compliancy.

Ok, now I understand the food piece but what about the exercise piece?  Looking at my exercise calendar, how many smiley faces did I give myself? (I don’t track points or calories anymore, but wanted to track my exercises, smiley faces mean I completed the days planned activity.  I had 7 weeks of J.  That means there was 10 weeks (not in a row) of almost NOTHING!  NOTHING!  Ok, that explains a lot; because for my body type I HAVE to move it to lose it!

Then thing I reflected on was the meal template.  Had I really been following it like it was recommended?  Were my nuts and seed servings a closed handful or more like an opened palm?  Were my cooking fats 1 – 2 thumb sized or more like 3-4?  How about the serving sizes?  Was I really following the suggestions?  If the meal fed four, did I turn it into two?   Therefore eating more than I should?  Maybe a few too many potatoes on non-activity days?  You know, too much of a good thing, is still too much!

So when I look at all of this, I realize that my 11 pounds are exactly what they should be.  11 weeks of 100% compliancy + 7 weeks of good exercise = 11 pounds lost!  That is a great success and I am very proud of that!  But the most important piece to this puzzle is how I feel.  I FEEL FANTASTIC!!  Better than I have in years.  With the exception of the time I wasn’t eating compliantly and not exercising, I feel great.  My stomach doesn’t hurt and I am not bloated.  My joints don’t bother me.  My face is not puffy and my complexion looks better.  My head doesn’t hurt and I don’t feel like I am in a fog.  And better than all that, my anxiety and depression barely exist.

I have Tiger Blood and I feel soo full of energy.  I am annoyingly happy and always in a good mood more times than not.  I am also back to running which is one of my favorite things to do!  Whole 30 has allowed me to live again and be present in my life.  It has taught me through reintroduction that just because a food is healthy and good for you, it doesn’t mean it is necessarily good for me.  My body reacted poorly to certain foods and I have learned to avoid them.  I have also learned that I don’t have to be tied down to an app to track my food, to the measuring spoons and the food scale.  I now listen to my body and know which foods react poorly.  This is FOOD FREEDOM!  Thank you so much Melissa Hartwig sharing Whole 30.  It really has changed my life!

[tinman57]

Thanks for writing this.  It was amazing in its honesty and its optimism and practicality!

[LAO]

Thank you tinman57 for replying.  I have to say it was a first to bare my soul and incredibly disappointing to not have any replies.  So I really appreciate yours.   

[SugarcubeOD]

Oh gosh, that sucks I"m sorry!  Not every post gets replied to... honestly the good ones that deserve the kudos and big hugs and high fives sometimes get fewer replies than they should.  I promise tho that everyone that read this and didn't reply (like myself), probably had a big smile on their face, nodded their head, did a 'that's awesome' in their head and high fived you.  I can't speak for all, but I will make more of an effort to do that in text from now on.  My favorite part of YOUR story is that you're not using an app or a scale to track and monitor your food... we were made to eat intuitively and Whole30 is one way to reteach ourselves how to do that!  Good GOOD job!

[kellyfoss]

Amazing job! You're so right that the number on the scale pales in comparison to the health and confidence gained during this process. It's a totally arbitrary measurement that should and does not define your success. You kicked butt! You should be so proud of yourself. Thank you for sharing.