My Whole30 Recap

So today is day 30 of my first Whole30 Challenge. As of this morning I have lost 15.6 lbs., my insulin and blood sugar have stabilized (blood work to back that up will be done soon), my seasonal eczema is gone, my skin and nails look fabulous, my hair is growing like a weed, I have a lot fewer aches and pains in my joints, I'm sleeping better, I have sustained energy, and my sugar cravings are few and far between.

To say this experience has been eye opening and life changing would not be far fetched. As a life long counter of calories, daily weigher, and yo-yo dieter, I am amazed to see such widespread results. I have a new found sense of freedom with food. Not counting calories or servings of this or that, and just focusing on whole, nutritious food has allowed me to redefine my relationship with food. I am not a slave to cravings or energy crashes. I eat when I'm hungry, which is far less often than before, I stop when I'm full, and feel completely satisfied with less.

Tomorrow is Easter and I will have a treat (a slice of chocolate torte cake). I purposefully selected this dessert and will savor every bite. My Easter dinner will be Whole30 approved (ham steak, roasted beets, asparagus, and carrots, sweet potato).

My Whole30 wasn't perfect. On day 4 I had a Girl Scout cookie meltdown, a handful of times I had cream in my coffee, I had a few pieces of maple sugar candy, and a piece of cheese on a burger. With the exception of the cookies, each "transgression" was a choice. This isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle change and I will make adjustments to fit my needs. An occasional piece of cheese or creamer in my coffee didn't appear to have negative effects for me. The sugar is an issue (one I have struggled with my entire life). While I don't plan to "never have sugar again", the decision to have some will be made deliberately and on my terms, with full knowledge of how it affects me. I will weigh the "treat" with the negative effects. I will not beat myself up or label my choice as "bad" or "wrong". I take responsibility for everything I choose to eat.

Several people I know (friends, family members, and co-workers included) have decided to do their own Whole30 after hearing about my successes. I can't wait to hear about their experiences!

Have you ever done a Whole30? Please share your experience with me!

Sugar Addiction

Confession time: Thursday February 7th I started a sugar detox. I'm committed to going sugar free (last summer I was diagnosed with insulin resistance... next stop diabetes!) I've tried this before with only short, limited success (that was BEFORE the diagnosis), now that it is a DO or DIE (pun totally intended) I have to get serious about my sugar issues. This is where my tale begins...

 

I seriously need help. I'm in the kitchen whipping up a batch of carrot-ginger soup (the epitome of healthy yummy goodness, right? carrots, onion, ginger, garlic, broth...). I'm searching the pantry hoping to find some chicken bouillon since I was 2 cups short on the chicken broth, and that's when it happened.

Behind the big bag of spices tucked in the corner was a half full bag of dark chocolate chips. I gave them to Andy earlier in the week to keep with his stuff for a sweet treat. I looked in his cupboard and THAT bag was still there... this was a SECOND bag. I must have missed them when I cleaned out all the sugar-laden stuff earlier this week. Like a true addict-in-recovery I panicked. Andy was outside shoveling... no one would EVER KNOW!! In a weak moment, I quickly inhaled two little handfuls, looking around as I chomped them down, hoping not to get caught! Lucy was the only witness and she just looked up at me with a quizzical look on her face. Shame and guilt immediately took over me and I THREW the rest in the trash!

WHY am I so weak!? This is ridiculous, it's SUGAR. It's LEGAL. It's IN EVERYTHING. I'm only on Day Fricken 3 of my detox!!!!

I need serious help. A 12-step program perhaps? A sugar therapist? Perhaps a sugar free sponsor?

This is going to be harder than I thought. If you see me with something containing sugar in it, grab it from me!!!