Whole 30 Results

Results are in....I now look like Gisele Bundchen!! Haha...no, not so much, but I am happy with the turnout. Here are some lessons learned:

1. Stay off the scale.
I weighed myself this morning and I'm down six pounds. (!!) Here's the thing with the Whole 30 - if I would have weighed myself earlier in the 30 days, I may have been discouraged by the number I got. I'm not going to lie - I was hoping for like 10 pounds and was a little disappointed when I first saw the number. But, the more I think about it, the more I realize that six pounds is a healthy number for a month's worth of effort. A pound and a half a week? That's with just a clear focus on the food I was putting into my body, and randomly exercising along the way. Down six pounds is down six pounds, so I'll take it. And, I'll probably continue with weighing myself less frequently - either every other week or once a month. Better idea is to base it off of how I feel...


2. Read ingredients lists.
My mom and I kept debating this thing about the calories - yes, losing weight really is about calories in vs. calories out. So if you're using Weight Watchers, and you can eat anything you want as long as you don't exceed your calories, that's all well and fine, but you're still putting stuff in your body that it has a hard time breaking down. Rather than using my calories on some sugared candy that has all kinds of chemicals and high fructose corn syrup, I'd rather eat something that is more nutritionally sound. Here's a simple switch - use the organic ketchup instead of the regular one. Yes, it costs more, but the ingredients are better for your body and it tastes pretty much the same. After doing the Whole 30, I'm more more inclined to see what is in something and put whole foods into my body rather than a bunch of chemicals. Not only that, you will feel fuller longer if you're putting super nutritious food into your system.


btw - when I was in Florida, my mom and I were looking at getting some tilapia in the freezer section. I looked at the ingredients and one ingredient was carbon monoxide. CARBON MONOXIDE! (LeeAnn - I was about to call you and ask when I thought to myself, "Really, Michelle? You need to ask her?") Instead of purchasing that, we got some fresh flounder and cod, and even though it's more expensive, I felt better about putting that into my body.


which leads me to the next lesson...
3. It's okay to spend more money on food if it means taking better care of yourself.
Hektor and I were at the grocery store the other day and I spent over $30 on just one dinner. I needed a lot of spices, which was the bulk of the purchase, but I also had fresh veggies, guacamole,  and organic canned tomatoes. Yes, it costs more to put the whole thing together, but I'd rather spend more money on food...especially when I think about going out and having drinks and how much money I waste being out at the bars! Am I only going to buy grass-fed beef and free-range chicken? No, probably not. But will I more often than in the past? Absolutely.


4. When you eat crap, you feel like crap.
Are you wondering what I ate today? Well, started off really well - egg whites and some bacon like I've eaten every day for the last month. At lunch, I had some roast beef and turkey on a whole wheat bagel thin (first non-compliant item) and an apple with peanut butter (second). Stopped at the store, came home, and tried a small bowl of the Kashi Go Lean Crunch (Third noncompliant, but tastes good!) but then I was hungry shortly after. Day 31 and I was making the Mint Chocolate Chip Truffles for our Honors night tomorrow, and I'm not going to lie - I ate probably four cookies (Fourth noncompliant) and a bunch of mint chocolate chips (fifth). Of course I'm not full...since I wasn't putting nutritious food into my body, so I made some organic whole wheat pasta (sixth) and finished off the spaghetti sauce I had left over.


It's now 8:05. My energy levels have plummeted and I barely have enough energy to type this blog. (Totally serious.) Compared to yesterday, when I ate clean all day, and Hektor and I went on a 30 minute run around 7:30, came home, cooked dinner, and I was just starting to get sleepy around 10 pm.


I don't have any crazy sugar headaches and my stomach isn't going nuts, but I defintely feel SOOOO lethargic. That's what sugar (and probably those carbs) will do to you.


5. Don't: use food (and/or drinks) as rewards, eat because you're bored or because something bad happened...etc.
Think about how often people use food for celebrations - all the time! Birthdays, holidays, promotions, social events...the list goes on and on! Also, how often do we eat because we had a bad day or didn't get what we wanted or because we got in a fight with a friend? Or we eat because we're bored? Over the past 30 days I have found how much I am really an emotional eater, and that is something I really want to change.


I did my Whole 30 and had Easter, a vacation, and a baby shower during my 30 days. I made it through all of those and didn't really feel deprived - I still got to visit with all of my family and friends and do fun things, just minus the food. Was in inconvenient at times? Yep. Was it undoable? No.


Going forward, I plan on paying better attention to why I'm eating and what I'm eating. If I'm really not hungry, I better just get out of the house and do something.


6. Don't take anything to such extremes - variety is the spice of life.
This one I learned from Hektor. Am I going to just give up everything that is not a fruit, veggie, meat, or nut? Never drink again? Never eat a cupcake? No. I just need to keep everything in moderation. My body told me when I went off the deep end when I started this whole thing, but I'm not going to the other extreme, either. Sometimes it is okay to celebrate with food, or go to a cook out and drink 5 beers. It just takes a little planning and thought to even it out (read: go running five days that week you're planning to not think about what you're eating and drinking).


and one last lesson, related to the fitness/running....
7. Practice makes perfect...especially in running!
Yesterday we went running - 5 minutes of walking warmup, 20 minutes of straight running, and 5 minutes to cool down. I was wondering if I was going to be able to do it again, since I hadn't run that long in like a week, but I totally finished, easily. Throughout the run, I was even able to carry light conversation and I sprinted the whole last minute of the 20 minute run. Every time you run you get better. I've NEVER called myself a runner until now. If you don't think you can, you're so wrong. Download Couch to 5K, be consistent with it, and watch the progress. Anyone can do it!




Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout the last 30 days. My mom and sister, Katie and LeeAnn, my team of teachers at school (they sent me those flowers today to say congrats!), Hektor, everyone who asked questions and opened a dialog about this - all of you encouraged me in different ways. If any of you are ready for this challenge, I will be there for you just the same - but you HAVE to do the blog. I'm telling you, it's what will keep you accountable!


The blogging has been really fun - and I plan on continuing! It's become a great new hobby and a way to archive my stories...and open up conversation with friends. Please stop by often!


Until next time....
Michelle


PS - 6 lbs down and I forgot to mention I lost an inch around my hips! (Gained an inch in my bust...not sure why that happened!)