What the Whole?!?!?

They say you have to hit rock bottom before truly being able to ascend (I don' t know who "they" are, nor do I remember what movie I heard this in).  I'd say my rock bottom (the most recent one, at least) was over winter break.  In keeping with the true meaning of Christmas (gluttony / overindulgence), I ate every dessert offered to me, I drank pop (just a little), I drank wine (not just a little), I went out to eat often, I snacked continually, and I generally shirked vegetables.

I felt like absolute crap.

Not only were there the psychological issues to deal with (guilt over my food choices, cravings for even more unhealthy foods, never feeling truly satiated, and stronger cravings), but the physical effects of what I was eating took their toll immediately.  I wasn't sleeping more than a couple hours at a time, I had heartburn to rival that of when I was 9 months pregnant, I had no energy, I was moody, and I couldn't concentrate.  To top it all off, my gym membership had expired at the end of November, and I wasn't working out much at all.

A friend posted on Facebook that he was doing a Whole30 starting January 4.  I Googled it and read about it and had a moment of panic: could I really eliminate all grains, dairy, legumes (PEANUT BUTTER!), soy, alcohol, sugar (and sugar substitutes) for 30 days straight?  I read testimonials of people who had already completed the program and decided to give it a try.

I'm so glad I did!  From January 6-February 4, I followed the program to the letter.  I started having amazing sleep (not even waking up to pee!), my moods were stable, I was happy, and I was full of energy.  Unfortunately, I sprained my ankle halfway through, so my workouts stopped, but I still had abundant energy for life in general!

I took a few days off (bad idea, unfortunately...sugar cravings came back immediately upon my first bite of a cookie), and now I'm doing a Whole60.  This time, I'm not going to eat almonds or cashews or raisins, since they are major trigger foods for me (once I start, I don't stop until the container is empty). 

So, what does one eat when doing a Whole30?  Only the BEST FOOD EVER.  Seriously, I feel like the food I'm preparing is not only super nutritious but is extremely satisfying (I don't eat between meals.  Ever.  I just don't feel the need to since the types of food I'm eating keep my blood sugar levels steady all the time).

The Whole30 has also been extremely liberating (exactly opposite of my first impression, that it would be too restrictive); for the first time, I know that everything I'm eating is contributing to my health and well being.  I'm not counting or measuring or stressing about ounces/calories/points/servings.  I lost only a couple pounds during that first Whole30, and I thought I'd be disappointed in that, but it turns out that the other benefits of this way of eating are so amazing that weight hasn't really been a factor.  That feels good!

Well, hello there!

My last post was on November 13, almost three months ago.  Is anyone out there still?  No matter, I suppose...at least Christen is (she was the one who urged me to get back to writing).  

The blog is still called Keep the Change, though its no longer associated with the gym.  I'm not even a member there right now!  I feel kinda lost and homeless...I need to rejoin or find another local gym, but there isn't one that I've found that meets all my criteria for price/classes/hours/daycare/location/etc.  Time to stop being so picky, methinks!

So, what to write about?  Well, I recently read the book "It Starts with Food," which has really helped me clarify my outlook on my own nutritional needs.  I just completed my first Whole 30 on February 4, and now I'm on day 2 of a Whole 60.  Asa is joining me this time (for a Whole 30; he's not quite ready to do the Whole 60!), and it's nice to have his support.

I will write more about my first Whole 30 experience in my next post, but for now, I just wanted to say hello again.  

Hello!