hokiedelicious Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Hi Everyone, I am currently on day 4 of the plan and so far so good. I feel like I can do this! Anytime I get a slight feeling of despair, I com to the Forum and start reading the threads. It has helped a ton today, as I have spent the last three hours here. A little bit about me...I am 30 years old and have a beautiful 2-year old daughter and a wonderful hubby (although not too supportive, but I will explain that in a bit). I was born sans thyroid, no reason for it the darn thing just didn't develop. I have been on thyroid replacement since I was two days old. And with that, I have been battling EVERY hypothyroid symptom there is since I was 2 days old. I have battled my weight my entire life, and with that I have severe body and self-esteem issues. I have literally tried every single diet in the universe, including the stupid and dangerous hcG diet that didn't work and made me ill. The reason my sweet husband is not supportive this time around is because of the myriad of failed diets and programs in the past. I seem to have a habit of finding the newest thing out there, embarking on it full steam, then giving it up after 1 or 2 weeks. There is a nice juicer sitting on my counter that hasn't been touched in 6 weeks...I have been in a state of despair since the ten-day juice fast hardly lasted two days. I exercise 5 days a week, and not puny little worthless exercises. I actually work out really hard. I don't have a terrible diet, having cut out processed foods since January. Yet, I have gained 17 pounds since December 1st. I have not only plateaued, I have hit a steep, uphill wall that I can't beat. No matter what I do, I can't control this. The lack of control has increased the wine consumption (yes yes, I know), and made me feel hopeless. I am tired of being fat, unhealthy, foggy, and tired. I am also tired of being the friend that "jumps on every fad diet bandwagon" as was pointed out to me a couple of weeks ago. Anyways, there is my story. And now I am here. After I read the amazing book, It Starts With Food, I realized that I do have an addiction. Already having a hormonal imbalance, I have finally come to the understanding that I need to care for my body in a way I have never done before. I need to stop obsessing over food and weight loss and start reassessing my goals. I am happy to be here, and from reading the Forum threads, I feel like I have made a fantastic decision. I know this is going to be tough, but I WILL succeed. Thanks for reading this. -Amber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRM Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Hi Amber, Welcome! While I was born with a thyroid, I lost it to cancer at the age of 24, in 1991. Like you, I've dealt with weight fluctuations, body issues, and the daily managing a chronic illness and all of the complications that go along with it. I've tried more diets that I can count, and my weight continued to fluctuate, steadily increasing all the time. No matter how few calories I ate and how many hours I exercised the number on the scale just kept getting bigger. On top of that, I had a host of inflammation related issues that continued to get worse. I came across Whole 30 last summer. When I'm not officially following the program, I'm about 90% compliant. It has changed everything for me. Eliminating sugar, grains, soy, sweeteners, etc has done wonders for my health. My thyroid levels are the most stable they have ever been since 1991. I am also at a healthy weight and I pretty much stay there, with little effort. Fluctuations are minor and I seem to naturally stay at my set-point. Eating this way has become a way of life, and I believe it's extremely beneficial for those with thyroid related issues. It may take a little while for your body to figure it out, and you may feel your system go a little nuts in the first few weeks, but hang in there. It will be worth it. Keep us posted. All the best, Lisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krista Billows Rodriguez Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Good luck, Amber, I hope you find the peace you crave with this program. I know I feel better than ever when I follow it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dukunbayi Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Welcome Hokiedelicious! I hear you on the "here we go again on another 'diet' " perception. Like you, I have tried all sorts of things... Weight Watchers, Atkins, Isagenix, Biggest Loser at work, etc... I even remember this one diet from middle school I think it was 4 hot dogs one day, 4 oranges the next day, 4 HB eggs the next day, and I forget what the last day. Cold hot dogs are gross, in case you were wondering. I was never even that overweight, but I am a sugar/carb junkie and a binger, and I have struggled with my relationship to food for as long as I can remember. I got into the whole gluten-free thing and that led me to paleo. When I started W30, I decided not to tell too many people. I didn't even call it "paleo" because I didn't want it to be another "oh there she goes again" program. I just told folks, including my family, that I was cutting out processed foods, gluten, and sugar which is all quite common these days and which seemed a natural progression from gluten-free. I think what my family noticed the most was how much I was cooking, and specifically, how many veggies I was cooking. Now we call it what it is or, as my BF calls it, "that caveman thing," and they are all on board with and supportive of my 2nd W30 (Day 4 as well!) Having witnessed, indeed being the direct recipients of, the many benefits, I don't know how they could be anything else. My daughter keeps telling me she "wants to do it too," but her resolve is intermittent. Regardless, I am doing most of the cooking these days and beggars can't be choosers . With persistent dligence, this is day-by-day morphing into just how I roll, rather than "a program." I LOVE LOVE LOVE this way of eating. It makes sense. I was born with a thyroid, but I think it was made on a Friday because it's a lemon. My mother had Graves, so I was being monitored and as soon as my TSH started to increase in my late twenties I started meds. I've been on thyroid replacement for 20 years. I am due for a level, and I'll be interested to see if my dose needs adjusting. So I say to you, hang strong through the 30 days. We don't need to think ourselves into a better relationship with food and our bodies; we just need to let the food do the work. And it will! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela Aikman Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Hi amber hope ur still goin strong. Its hard to avoid temptation when u hav a toddler about, my two yr old is constantly trying to feed me crisps and biscuits lol. Im starting mon so look forward to reading ur posts for encouragement. X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hokiedelicious Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 Thank you to everyone for replying! Today is Day 7, and I feel fantastic. Still wondering when I will jump out of bed bright-eyed and bushy-tailed though...This morning wasn't it, but I blame that on Daylight Savings Time. So this weekend I did something extraordinary! I want to brag about it! It was an unexpected test of my self-control and I passed with flying colors. Our good friends called and invited us for dinner at a local grill restaurant, the kind that specializes in wings, burgers, fried, non-complient foods, followed by a bon-fire with drinking, s'mores, and the like. I really wanted to go but was apprehensive in facing the foods of my past and my Wine Dragon. To make it worse, none of my friends know of my new life due to the "fad diet girl" reputation I have. After discussing my fears with my hubs, I discovered how unbelievable supportive he is and we went to dinner. I informed my friends I would gladly be the designated driver for the evening (much to their surprise and joy) and away we went. I had looked at the menu before going to the restaurant, picked out and modified the meal to meet my needs. I was ready! Unfortunately, the restaurant was not serving steak that evening....whompwhomp. I decided on a boring grilled chicken salad, sans cheese and croutons and used only the red wine vinegar. It wasn't the best meal, but it was compliant and I had NO GUILT! The wine dragon was was raising her beautiful, merlot covered head all evening, but I ignored her without indulging in other foods. I just drank my water and enjoyed myself. That was the theme the rest of the evening. Being faced with s'mores was a lot easier than I thought it would be, even with my darling two-year-old asking me to taste hers over and over again. Once I got my friends and family home safely, I was able to reflect on the amazing accomplishment! I was in a social situation that usually involved me indulging in a bottle of wine and several s'mores, plus a plate of boneless wings and cheesy-bacon fries covered in ranch. Normally the previous sentence would cause me to salivate, but now I have no reaction. Woohoo for me! My next big event is a week-long beach vacation with my Irish family. I have created a menu of five simple, compliant dishes that I can cook while I am there, and will be sure to have plenty of sparkling water and limes to sip on during family happy hours. Cheers to all! Day 7 and going strong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsjessica Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Great job! You're right well to celebrate, that's quite an accimplishment you've got there! Sounds like your hubby's a winner too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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