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Whole30 complete, now for the rest of my life.


Aardkat

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Saturday was my last day. Was sad to see it end and kind of overwhelmed with the newfound freedom. Obviously don't want to eat everything. I really love how I feel now.

My blood sugar is more stable than it has been in my life.  I have way more energy. I feel more bouncy and bubbly and friendly. I'm just way more chill.

I don't crave carbs anymore. I feel like I've overcome that addiction, but I need to be careful going forward when I reintroduce stuff. Sweets don't sound good anymore, and I love the way I feel when I'm not eating them too much to give that up. I've reframed how I think about food. No longer am I eating to "satisfy hunger" (which often meant cravings or low blood sugar in the past.) I am eating to give my body the energy and nutrients it needs to get through my daily life and help me get stronger and healthier. For me regular exercise (strength training in particular) has always been a huge motivating factor in eating better because I can see the effects in my performance and recovery.

At this point, it is becoming an important part of my identity, which is weird for me, because I was always the chubby goth kid who hated the jocks. I don't want to be an evangelical health nut or fitness junkie. So I am kind of in a period of thinking about how I define myself and my identity. This is good, though. I don't want to be the chubby goth kid anymore. I will think more in the coming weeks about who I am and what all this means to me. I want healthy to just be one of many things I am. Right now it is kind of all consuming because it is new to me, but I don't want to be one of those people running around wearing fitness gear all the time, covered in brand labels like an advertisement for five different sporting good companies, preaching to people about giving up gluten. But I do feel like being an athletic person is becoming a part of my identity.

I've lost a ton of weight. I've lost a lot of fat in my face; my jaw is more defined and my eyes are less hooded. I HAVE VISIBLE COLLARBONES! I haven't been a size 12 since middle school and yet here I am! Lost about 8.5 pounds this last month (60 pounds less than I was at my heaviest. That's mind-boggling to think about. I was THAT heavy once!), and an inch and a half in my waist. I can't stop feeling my sides and my stomach because there's so much less fat than there was.

I love that I can eat 4 times a day, never feel too hungry, have stable blood sugar, and just feel AWESOME and STILL LOOSE WEIGHT! If I actually give my body the things it needs, and not the things it doesn't, it treats me pretty well in return.

My skin is clearer and has a more even tone. My hair is thicker and shinier. My nails are less brittle.

My shoulders and back ache a lot less. I recover from my workouts faster. My body just feels overall healthier. I don't feel like an old person when I'm just doing basic activities.

Kind of gross, but I haven't had as much trouble with my bowel movements since the first week. I used to get constipated a lot, not anymore. My gut seems healthier.

Oh and I never get indigestion or burp up food after I'm done eating. That's pretty amazing. Used to have trouble with salads because I'd keep burping up leaves but now I eat tons of salads and never have that problem.

 

Started my reintroduction yesterday. I realized I accidentally ate both dairy and gluten and I'm not 100% sure which one it was that got me. I was staying at a hotel and eating the breakfast there. I put some of the sausage gravy on my eggs. Was just planning on adding in dairy, totally spaced on the fact that it has flour in it too. So I've stuck to mostly whole30 the rest of the day (easing up on added sugar in sauces/dressings when I'm eating out. Doesn't seem to have a negative affect thus far, and I don't eat out often. This weekend I was just travelling.) Gonna start my reintroduction proper in a few days, eating the same way I was during my whole30.

But yeah, after breakfast, I had a stomach ache for hours and kept having to run to the bathroom.

I want to not have dairy be bad for me. I really, really want to get in more non-meat sources of protein in my diet, for budgetary reasons. Chicken isn't too terribly expensive, and eggs are pretty cheap, but I'd really like to be able to eat some dairy and beans again. I miss Greek yogurt.

I also want to reintroduce grains. I'm ok with sticking to gluten free if I have to, but I really want more variety in my carb sources. I've been eating lots of sweet potatoes, squash, and apples lately. I work out 5-6 days a week so I kind of need my carbs.

So yeah, Tuesday I think I'll try gluten free grains. Really excited to learn more about my body. Even if it feels like I'm doing an unethical science experiment with myself. :P

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Grains went well. Oats, corn, and rice can be back on the menu! I think I want to be more moderate with them than I was in the past, though. I feel great with meals based around protein and veggies.

I'm thinking I'll do beans/legumes tomorrow. Seems the least likely to make me sick and I don't want to ruin my weekend. I'd rather feel like crap at work than feel like crap when I'm trying to enjoy myself.  I'll probably save dairy for last. I really miss greek yogurt and it will be nice to add in another source of protein if I can. But I'm really afraid it's gonna make me feel really sick.  I really want beans to be okay, for similar reasons. Cheap protein is good!

It's really nice listening to my body and feeding it based on what it actually needs.

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