Yesterday was day 30 of my Whole 30 challenge. For 30 days I cut out all grain, legumes, peanuts, sugar (including artificial), dairy, processed foods, and white potatoes. As an added bonus, I also cut out caffeine, something I've been struggling to delete from my diet for some time now. Instead of eating the things listed above I ate moderate portions of meat, LARGE portions of vegetables, fruit, and lots of healthy fats from sources like coconut milk, nuts, and avocado. I ate 3 meals a day, without snacks except for the days that I was more active, and I drank a lot of water.
The first week I lost 5 pounds. I felt a lot better physically, but the first thing I actually noticed was how I felt psychologically. Anyone who knows me knows I have struggled with depression my entire life. It is something that has held me back, lost me friends, lost me opportunities and (moment by moment) has sucked parts of my life away that I will never get back. Depression is not a joke. I have tried medications with little or no benefits (in fact I usually have more negative side-effects than positive). I have tried exercise, which helps a lot but isn't permanent and is also hard to keep up when you have nagging depression constantly grabbing the tail of your shirt and pulling you back. I've tried supplements and special diets before, sometimes finding some relief but, again, having some other side-effects I wasn't too fond of. I've known for a while that sugar was the enemy so I've tried low-carb diets, lost some weight, started feeling better. I thought then that that was my answer and that I was doomed to a life of string cheese and celery sticks. I have always thought that it was the carbs that got me. I didn't realize there was so much more, and I didn't realize that I could feel so much better!
Until now.
The second week was a little harder. I didn't lose much weight, I was feeling the withdrawal symptoms from all the foods I had cut out and I was feeling a little out of control. I felt like at any moment I would just find a box of powdered donuts (something I really don't care for but for some reason kept sounding REALLY good at that time) and scarf the entire thing in one sitting. I had visions of Alice finding the little glass box with the cookie saying "Eat Me" and me saying "Oh, OK!" I was having stress dreams filled with guilt about binging on brownies and pizza. It's scary the hold that food had over me during that week. But I stuck to the meal plan, stuck to my guns, and persevered. And you know what? The cravings went away, vanished, vamoose! And I got the added benefit of a boost of self-confidence that I COULD control myself, and strengthened that will-power muscle a little more.
The third week I had an epiphany. I could never quite put into words how I felt that third week. A fog lifted and I suddenly saw the error of my past ways and the pathway to a bright new future came into my view. I felt happy..... HAPPY. Legitimately and for no outward reason. Nothing in my environment changed, nothing extraordinary happened, but I felt this inner peace that I don't know if I've felt before. Maybe for fleeting moments here and there, but not for extended periods of time. It was euphoric, and while I enjoyed it I was afraid of the crash... I mean, there had to be a crash, right? There was always a crash.
There was no crash.
Week four continued in a similar fashion. I was sleeping well, almost coma sleeping, and waking up easier, more refreshed. I felt constant energy all through out my day, and when night time came I was really ready for bed. My circadian rhythm was restored (much to my night-owl Husband's chagrin, unfortunately... sorry honey). I had passed the weight plateau I was teetering on and was losing steadily in small increments. My clothes were fitting better, my concentration improved. The clarity and freedom I felt surmounted any fleeting feeling of euphoria I might have experienced from eating that box of powdered donuts.
I started this blog last summer. I was 176 pounds. I was miserable. I lost a few pounds by exercising and "watching what I was eating", but it was inconsistent, and when I hit that plateau in my weight there was nothing that was pushing me over the edge. I got discouraged, and fell back. My ankle started hurting, I couldn't exercise. I tried to rely on "healthy" foods to help me achieve my goals but it wasn't working. Depression set it, I fell back. When I started the Whole 30 challenge I was back up to 174. Here are the beginning and ending measurements:
I lost 13 pounds and 11.5 inches from the chest, waist, and hips in 30 days. During the last 3 weeks I have not felt a twinge of pain or discomfort in that ankle that was bothering me so much. My skin cleared up a lot (you may even say it glows). I have not had a migraine in weeks, which is amazing considering the weather has been handing me sinus headaches everyday and they usually trigger migraines for me. While I haven't been relieved of the sinus headaches, I've been relieved of the migraines.
My wedding ring fits again. :-)
I bought the book "It Starts With Food" by the company who put together the Whole 30 program. I bought it mainly for more ideas on recipes and things so I would not get bored with the foods I was eating (there are some really good ideas, by the way). But when I first opened the book, on the inside of cover, it had a list of ailments that people have experienced, personally, finding relief from or in instances complete disappearance of symptoms:
"Diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity,
acne, eczema, psoriasis, chronic fatigue, asthma, sinus infections, allergies, migraines, acid reflux, Crohn's, celiac disease, IBS, bipolar disorder, depression, Lyme disease, endometriosis,
PCOS, autism, fibromyalgia, ADHD, hypothyroidism, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis."
That's a pretty long list and not even a complete one. The book went on to explain what they call the "scienc-y stuff". I won't go into that but if you're interested, the book is on Amazon... it's worth the read. They talk about the inflammatory response our bodies have to certain foods and what this inflammation does to all our systems. It talks about the effects that balanced (and unbalanced) hormones have on these systems as well. Our bodies are fine-tuned machines, built to help us when we need it. There's so much that our bodies can do when all the levels are right. Some of us just need a tune-up. This was my tune-up.
There is also a whole chapter in the book about reintroducing the foods you cut out back into your diet in a smart way. This way you can see which things your body is fine with and which things you really shouldn't have. Every one is different, and what works for some doesn't always work for others. It talks about making this a lifestyle, not just a diet. About eating some of the less-healthy foods occasionally guilt-free and for no other reason than because it's delicious. This is not meant to be a doom and gloom kind of approach to health. This is doable, sustainable, and the best thing I've ever done for my health.
Alright, I know I've babbled on and on. But look at that list of diseases and ailments I put above... do you see yourself in any of those? Have you struggled with symptoms where medications and treatments just haven't seemed to do the trick? Are you looking for a lasting change in your life? Go the the website. Look at the plan. Print out the free meal planning guide and free shopping list. It may seem restrictive but it's really not, not when you take into consideration that it's only 30 day. If you get to the end of your 30 days and you do not feel exponentially better, don't keep doing it. It's 30 days where you just have to pay attention to the foods going into your mouth. It's not some crazy workout routine where you have to find 45 minutes to carve out of your already busy day. You don't have to spend $120-$400 a month on pre-made meals or powders promising to give you the freedom that is already available to you right at your own grocery store. You already eat. Why not just eat the right stuff, in the right combinations, and right times. You might just find what you've been looking for.
I know I mentioned that it's not a crazy work-out routine, but the funny thing is I'm so ready now to exercise. My balanced body is craving the exercise. I've been taking walks, but I started today with my Turbo Sculpt again for toning. It wasn't easy, it's been a while. But it felt good. and I didn't struggle to get out of bed to do it this morning. If I lost 13 pounds in the first 30 days without any real exercise, what kind of results can I get adding exercise? Let's find out, shall we?
My birthday is in 9 days. My husband is taking me out that weekend and I am going to eat a meal that I want and a dessert that I want because it's delicious and it's my birthday and I'm on a date with my love. And I don't need any reasons other than those. It's ok to indulge now and then and I don't have to feel guilty about it. I'm saying this with full sincerity, not the pseudo-confidence I've had to put on in the past to convince myself of things. I've changed. My faith is restored in a lot of things, but mainly in myself. Insecurities that were holding me back are not as much of an issue. I'm happy. They should call this the Happiness Challenge. At least that's what it turned out to be more me. I found happiness. And all I had to do was change the foods I put into my stomach for 30 days. Though the 30 days may be history, the lessons learned have changed my future.
I'm grateful for Dallas and Melisa Hartwig who cared enough about health not only to create this plan but to put it out on a website for free so anyone who was willing could feel the freedom they experienced from their first Whole 30 challenge. Thanks, you guys!
I'm almost done.
In keeping with tradition, I would like to invite you again to try it out. Think about things that you've been dealing with: stress, physical problems, psychological issues, injuries, diseases. Think about what these things cost you from not only your pocket but from your life. Now think about the possibility of not having to deal with these things. Literally close your eyes and imagine relief. Now click on the website below and start reading. Now.
http://whole9life.com/2012/08/the-whole30-program/
Noted British psychiatric researcher Malcolm Peet conducted a provocative cross-cultural analysis of the relationship between diet and mental illness. His primary finding was a strong link between high sugar consumption and the risk of both depression and schizophrenia.
Here is the idea.