Welcome to Fall

Welcome to my favorite season.  Now if I can just quit being tempted to make all those yummy fall desserts.

I'm just checking in to let you know how I'm doing.  I'm still trying to keep as close to 100% W30 as possible, but I have gone to the Asian buffet a couple of times, and although I was careful about what I ate, I didn't stress over it. I even had a couple of pieces of sushi, and the rice didn't seem to bother me. I did have a piece of cheese on a leftover burger one night, though, and that did cause some tummy distress, so I'm going to keep staying away from dairy for the most part.

Basically I'm cooking W30 except I'm using regular bacon and sausage. I'm still making my own mayo, using ghee, and using vinegar and oil on my salad. We only go out once a week, and I'm careful, but not anal about it.

I've only lost a couple of pounds since the end of the W30, but I've lost another 1/2 inch here and there. I decided to actually log my calories for a week to see if I was eating more than I thought I was. My days ranged from 1100-1300 calories, mostly depending on the proteins I ate. I think I was over 1400 one day. I'm going to continue logging for one more week so I get a good idea of what's going in my body. Of course my eggs throw my numbers all off, but I'm not really worried about that. I have to get my blood work done next month, that will be the real tell.

Despite my repeated resolutions to add some movement to the mix, I had yet to do that...until today. This morning I pulled out the wii fit and hooked it up. I spent an enjoyable 40 minutes "playing" enough to induce a sweat. I even did 3 minutes of running! I honestly don't think I could have done that before the W30, so even though I haven't been exercising, I think my body feels more receptive to moving, if that makes sense.

Hopefully the next time I check in I will have better progress to report. Until then, I'll keep on keeping on!

The Results Are In!

 

As promised, here are the results. (Don't worry--no before and after pics)

• Weight: -12.2 lbs
• Neck: -1/2"
• Upper Arm: -1/2"
• Bust: -1"
• Waist: -1.5"
• Hips: -1/2"
• Thighs: same
• Under Bust: -2"

Note: This W30 was done without any increase in activity level. I only changed what I ate. I can count the times I was hungry during the last month on one hand. In addition, I have the following benefits:

• I sleep the sleep of the dead, wake up with my alarm ready to start the day (This is a really BIG deal, people)
•  I have a more even level of energy throughout the day--very few tired spots
• My troubles focusing have almost gone away--noise still bothers me quite a bit
• I learned loads of new recipes and ways to cook yummy food (with quite a few yucky ones along the way, too)
• My nails are stronger
• I have less joint pain--that's not going to go away until I get more of this weight gone and start moving more
• I rarely have any "tummy issues"
• Non-compliant foods don't really even tempt me. (the only thing I really want is a sandwich which is strange because I rarely ate sandwiches)

I am staying compliant for at least another 2-3 weeks. I feel like I'm just getting the hang of this; why stop now?  I still have a lot of food issues to work out. I may be binging on more healthy food, but I need to control the binging. During the next 2-3 weeks I'm focusing on:

• Staying compliant--exceptions: breath strips
• lowering my salt intake--I will still use it for cooking, and will continue to include salty foods (olives, etc), but try not to add any salt to my dish
• movement--I'm not going to call it exercise, yet. I have a wii fit, and I'm hauling that out to do some biking around wii island
• focus on my ratio of protein to veggies and fruit. I haven't spent enough time prepping my veggies, and I need to get better at that

I'm hoping that the next 30 days (mostly W30) will bring another 10lb loss, drop a pant size, and 2" off each my waist and hips.

I will keep checking in as long as you keep reading. Thank you ALL for all of your support--even my silent readers...

It's Day 29, Y'all!

 

Wow, 29 days. I honestly did not think I would make it this far. I am so proud that I have. Tomorrow is technically the final day of this journey (more about that later). Since it's getting late on a school night I'm going to copy and paste what I put on my W30 forum today. Then I'll tell you where I'm going from here.

I've had ups and downs these last 29 days. Here's a bulleted list of all (most) of the things I have been experiencing.

• Cravings--not too bad. I went through a phase where I just wanted a sandwich, and walking through the bakery section of the story yesterday was tough. (but I hadn't had my lunch, and I was dealing with some hunger issues at the time)
• Sleep--WAY better. I go to sleep earlier (around 9:30), and my head barely hits the pillow before I'm out. I sometimes wake up to use the bathroom, but am able to go right back to sleep. When my alarm goes off (at 5:00), I am wide awake and ready to start the day. I'm even getting up around 6:30 on weekends.
• Energy--I wouldn't actually call it Tiger Blood, but I don't have the energy swings throughout the day.
• Focus--WAY better. I used to use adderroll for my ADD, but when I moved to PA 5 years ago, my doctor said that she'd rather see me try to control it with diet. I ignored her diet advice and have complained for 5 years that I need a new doctor who will prescribe adderroll for me. Guess what, seems she may have been right.;)  Sometimes Bruce says I'm too focused (I tend to hyper focus on my school work, and he doesn't like it when he's watching TV and I can't discuss what's happening in the show)
• Body Aches--getting better every day. I don't exercise...yet. I do way too much couch/desk sitting working on schoolwork, reading W30 posts, looking for recipes, etc. I haven't had a headache since day 2 or 3, and my knees, back, hips are not as achy. (I actually used to dread bending over to pick up the cat's dish first thing in the morning because it hurt my back so much, but I noticed during the last couple of days that it's not a problem anymore)
• Cooking--it's a lot of work but except for explaining to Bruce why I can never do anything on Sundays, it hasn't been too bad. I enjoy making all the new recipes (but I don't like all the cleanup). I've found some weekly go tos. I'm loving Golden Cauliflower soup from "The Clothes Make the Girl," and the Kahlua pig is a weekly staple now.
• Mood--I went through a couple of "Kill all the Things" days. My biggest complaint about mood is that I am hyper focused on myself, and I am not giving enough to Bruce. I know this, I try to fix it, but right now in my life I am having trouble giving him the focus I should. (It might be easier if he was a little more interested/supportive of my health journey)
• Eating out--Friday nights used to be our "date night" to celebrate the end of the work week. One of our favorite places is an Asian buffet with hibachi and sushi. This wasn't a problem during the summer because I didn't mind cooking on a Friday when I was home all day, but when school started a couple of weeks ago, Friday was horrible. I was in a funk all day, and that night I stayed compliant but just grabbed enough food to stop hunger-not to enjoy. I grumped at Bruce all evening and went to bed early in tears. I woke up on Saturday determined to do some research so we could eat out the next Friday. I worried all week, but this last Friday we went to Longhorn Steakhouse. I was terrified about what they were doing to my food in the kitchen, but I restrained myself from going back and cooking it myself. I had steamed broccoli (no butter spray), a dry baked, sweet potato, and the largest prime rib they had (minus the au jus and horseradish sauce). I'm still afraid that they did something non-complaint to that meat, but I ate it. The basket of fresh bread sitting next to me, the yummy dishes all around me, the molten lava cake that Bruce got for dessert--it all made me unjustifiably angry, but it was a step in the right direction. I survived it, and with a little more research I will learn how to know which foods I can have at different restaurants.
• Body/Weight--I've managed to stay off the scale and haven't measured, but I am really afraid that there hasn't been a change. My clothes are not fitting any differently. I have an apple shape with that big belly thing going on. My belly still sticks out farther than my boobs. Even though I'm trying to convince myself that weight isn't the way to determine success, in reality all the good that I've felt/am feeling is going to be easy to forget if that scale doesn't show a decent difference on Wednesday morning.
• Day 31--I'm terrified.  I have not conquered my relationship with food. I've binged three times in the last 29 days--cantaloupe, watermelon, and grapes. Sure, W30 compliant-ish, but the binging habit is still there.

Where I'm going from here. I'm going to continue W30 for at least another two weeks. My eating habits were so far out of control before I started that there is no way I can turn it all around in 30 days. I am just starting to feel comfortable with the foods and recipes, so maybe now I can spend less time focused on what I'm going to eat and spend more time really evaluating how and when I'm eating. I've been more focused these 29 days on staying compliant, and haven't always made sure I was getting the right portions of protein, veggies, and fruit. I want to focus more on that.

I'm also wondering if salt is one of the issues. I'm on blood pressure meds (have been for 20+ years) and haven't been to the doc this month to have it checked. It does seem like I've been eating a lot of salt this month, though. I LOVE salt. I'm not getting it from processed foods anymore, and I've been using that as an excuse for feeding my body more sea salt. I'm drinking tons of water, so it should be flushing out, but that's one of the things I'll be more conscious of in this next phase.


So, here are my goals going forward:

• Continue W30 compliance for a minimum of two more weeks and then re-evaluate
• Add exercise--in the form of my Wii Fit. I know, it's not very strenuous, but it's a start
• Eat out once a week to practice ordering healthy foods
• Make sure every meal has the correct ratio of protein, veggies, and fruit.
• Focus more on deep green veggies
• In this new phase a binge (even on compliant foods) equals a restart (of the 2 weeks)

I will be weighing and measuring on Wednesday morning, and I'll let you know how it went in addition to all of the above. I'm warning you not to have too high of expectations, though.

Days 15-21: Tiger Blood!

 

I love tigers.

And I can't believe it's been an entire week since my last blog! oops. I read in the Whole30 Daily today that it takes 66 days to really form a new habit. I guess I'm not doing so well in the blogging habit department.

BUT...I am doing GREAT in the Whole30 department! 

I am continuing to have all the positive results they promised, and some have gotten even better. I don't have 'slumps' during the day or evening where I get tired. I have energy--not so crazy that I want to run a marathon or anything, but way more than I did have. It's my version of tiger blood, I guess. Sometimes I'm not even that tired when it's time for bed, but I make myself go to bed anyway. No more lying awake tossing and turning (even when I didn't think I was tired yet). My eyes close almost as soon as my head hits the bed, and I'd probably stay that way until morning if it wasn't for my darn bladder waking me up once every night. At least I'm getting my share of water consumption in!

It's not all sunshine and lollipops, though. Fridays are HARD. For the last few years Friday has been our night to go out--nothing fancy, just a Chinese buffet or pizza--but it was a night where I could come home after a long week at work and know that I didn't have to worry about cooking anything. Well, the first week of school (with kids) is now in the history books, and when Friday came along all I could think about was everything I COULDN'T have at the buffet. I got myself into a real funk.

Yes, I can find things to eat at restaurants--it's just not easy. Melissa did it. My sweet little girl sent me a text Friday night from her Chinese buffet. She didn't make the rest of her family stay at home and suffer. She was able to stay away from everything but the fruit and salad without dressing--I can do it too. I just don't wanna. It is easier for me if I just stay away from temptation--but that isn't sustainable. I have to do it. I just don't think I'll start at a buffet where I could end up on a binge. I'm going to do some research this week, and this Friday we are going to go out to a restaurant. I might end up sounding like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally, but I'm going to do it. (Click on the link for the food ordering scene--don't worry, I won't be ordering pie)

Do I feel my body changing? Maybe slightly. My pants that were getting really tight last spring fit better now. They're not falling off or anything, but it might be small progress. I haven't started exercising yet--that comes after next week--so I don't really feel more flexible or anything. My joints might not ache quite as much, but there aren't any major changes, yet.

Now that I'm on day 21, I'm starting to think about how to handle the transition. Even though I read that I didn't have to add 10 more days because of the Listerine breath strips, I know that I'm not going to be ready to stop after day 30. I have habits that are too ingrained. As of right now, here's the plan:

1. I am starting to research the Paleo lifestyle--I'm hoping that I can slowly switch to that 
2. This Friday we're going out to eat--I need to learn how to order and realize that I can enjoy eating at a restaurant without ordering the most unhealthy meal on the menu.
3. Starting on day 31, I'm adding some exercise to the plan--probably starting out with walking.
4. I also need to work on flexibility. I found some videos to help people who are all 'locked up' so I'm going to start working on my hips, back, and shoulders
5. This week I'm trying out zucchini noodles to see if they work in place of pasta for me. I really don't want to add grains back in, but I miss pasta a lot.
6.  I found a local farmer who will sell a cow in as little as 1/8 a cow. Now that we have a garage, I'd like to invest in a chest freezer so we can order our meat in bulk.
7. This week I'm going to pack up some of the pre-packaged convenience food that's in our cupboards to give to all the food drives that will soon be starting. I feel a little guilty for pawning off unhealthy food, though.
8. I will most likely not continue to worry about foods with added sugars like ham, bacon, etc., but I will continue to stay away from sugary treats. Those were never that difficult for me to stay away from to begin with. I am more aware now about those hidden sugars, so I will only eat those foods in moderation.
9. Paleo allows dairy. That is probably the first food group that I will try to reintroduce. I don't drink milk, I can make my own mayo, but cheese...oh cheese...I do miss you a little--especially on pizza.

Well, it's a start. It's nice to see (I was about to say the end, but it's not the end) a new beginning in sight. I'm excited to see what the next 10 days have in store, and I REALLY can't wait to pull out that scale 10 days from now. I know, I know, it's not supposed to be about weight, and I'm trying to prepare myself so I'm not crushed, but I still can't wait.

Oh, in case you were wondering...my poop is great, too.

 

Days 12-14: Boundless energy! Now give me a damn Twinkie.

 

It has been a crazy, crazy week. Last week the teachers went back to school, and since we are running down to the wire with construction, I didn't get to start in my room until 2:00 on Thursday. That meant I had to go in on Friday and Saturday to get everything done. It also meant that it was an eat what was ready few days, so I was glad to have a lot of leftovers, although I didn't do as well on veggies as I should have. 

Since I was at school on Saturday, I had to shop AND do my cookup today. That was a lot of work on the day before school starts. I did manage to make quite a bit, but I'm going to have to do some more tomorrow. Here's what I made today:

• Browned a lb of ground beef and pork
• cut up a cantaloupe
• made amazing potato salad
• made meatball soup
• made a chicken dish that is SO hot that I'm not sure I'll be able to eat it
• cut up a bunch of veggies

I have to do something tomorrow to get the rest of the stuff in the refrigerator. I'm out of room, and I have a huge head of cauliflower, a head of cabbage, and a watermelon that I'd like to cut up. I also bought so much meat today, and I don't have any room left in the freezer. Maybe tomorrow I can do a major fridge/freezer overhaul.

So, how have I been feeling? I feel okay. Not super full of energy, but not super tired either, and considering the week I've had, I guess that's a good thing. I am still sleeping pretty well. I haven't been having tummy troubles anymore. My hunger is under control. I have had a lot of cravings the last few days. And I Don't feel like I've lost any weight. Sigh. The scale is still safely put away, but I really thought that I'd see my physical differences by now. I guess we will see what the new week has in store. 

If it wasn't for those breath strips I'd be almost 1/2 way through. They say that the "tiger blood" stage is right around the corner, so I am looking forward to that.

I really wanted to write a better blog tonight since it's been so long, but I just have too much going on. I do not feel prepared for school tomorrow. Usually the last couple of weeks of summer are totally spent working on school stuff. This year I spent those two weeks focused on Whole30. Hopefully I'll make it through this first week of school without too much stress. 

One of these days I will be filling you in on all the yummy new things I've been trying, but not tonight. This teacher needs her sleep!

TTFN

vicki

Day 11: The Hardest Days Part II

 

Day 11 (of 40)

When they said that these were going to be the hardest days they meant because we would be the most prone to want to give in to temptation. If you read yesterday's post, you'll know that wasn't the hardest part for me. It was dealing with a setback that was the result of an unintentional poor choice I made. I'm not even that upset with having to add 10 days to the program--I'm upset because I tried SOOOO hard, and it wasn't good enough. 

The lesson I learned made me look at a lot of things differently. I liken my emotional reaction to this to the way one of my students may feel when they study hard, are attentive in class, and do the best that they know how and still get a score lower than they expected on an assignment. I need to not only teach them how to better prepare for the next assessment, but I have to do it in a way that supports their psychological and emotional needs, also. 

We are humans. We are beautifully flawed. We make choices-intentional or not-that aren't always in our best interest. We need support from other beautifully flawed humans. 

So, on a happier note, I'm feeling a LOT better. I'm sleeping better, I have more energy, and it doesn't hurt as much to sit down anymore. (see Day 9) AND I was finally able to get into my classroom and do some work today.

I will try to catch up on some yummy foods I've tried this week in one of the weekend blogs. Right now I'm going to watch Big Brother and go to bed so I can get up and get my room prepped for our new school year!

TTFN

vicki

Day 10: The Hardest Days

 

So... some of you may have noticed that I didn't post last night at the end of my Day 10. You'd think I'd be pretty happy about that what with being a 1/3 of the way through and everything and feeling physically better. Yeah, well, I didn't actually feel all that great last night.

One of my biggest insecurities is worrying about having bad breath. I always carry mints, gum, spray, etc. around with me. I knew better than to eat mints--didn't even consider them, but my Listerine Breath Strips--I never considered NOT using them until a co-worker offered me a stick of gum. As I was declining the gum all of a sudden I wondered about the breath strips I'd been using. When I got home I looked it up. Yep, artificial sweetener. C.R.A.P.

I was devastated. 

I couldn't face the blog. I went to bed. I didn't even tell my daughter and sister who started with me. I felt like I had let everyone down. I finally came clean to one of my work friends who is on her day 4. She was very supportive, so I told another co-worker. This co-worker had completed a W30 before and had a similar experience. We talked through my feelings of betrayal because there had been no mention of breath fresheners (or toothpaste for that matter) and any of the W30 literature that I had read to prepare for this journey. 

Ultimately I realized that regardless of whether I made a conscious decision to eat a piece of pizza or unconsciously slipped a breath strip in my mouth, the damage was done and I couldn't undo it. I should have done a better job with my research and been more diligent about what I allowed in my body. So it was time to suck it up, learn from the experience and add 10 days to my W30. Psychologically it's better for me to say I'm doing a Whole40. That way I get the benefit of the entire 30 days but I don't totally discount the 10 days of really hard work that I already put in. I broke the news to my sister and daughter, and they were totally on board with going the 40 days with me. 

I love my support group! Thank you, Dani, Carolyn, Melissa, and Connie for all of your support. And thank you to those of you who will read this and I'm sure add your support, too. This has been a huge lesson in humility in addition to everything else.

And, since I promised full disclosure from the start-now you know, too.