Standards & Epiphanies

    So just before the 2015 year ended, I weakly decided to do a Whole 30 challenge and start it on January 2. Since I was recovering from an injury, my training volume was low but I was still eating as if I was training for a 70.3 Ironman. I had put on 11 pounds since the Route 66 half marathon in late November. Which is just ridiculous, my sweet tooth was out of control and mindless snacking was in overdrive due to boredom. I felt miserable and my mood was terrible.

     For those who are not familiar with The Whole 30 it is a 30 day challenge to clean up your diet of common inflammatories, allergens and processed food. To reset your metabolism and nutrition to ground zero, so you can make educated decisions on what foods you do not tolerate, just tolerate, or thrive on. The rules: no dairy, no alcohol, no legumes (this includes peanuts, peanut butter and soy/soybeans) no grains, no seeds, no sugar, no sugar substitute of any kind, no processed food, no artificial colors/flavors,  no carrageenan & no weighing yourself. So you may ask "what can you eat?" Organic grass feed meat, poultry, seafood, wild game, all veggies, potatoes, squash and fruit. With the fruit be sure to eat it when you are hungry and not as a substitute for that late afternoon sugar craving.

     I choose January 2nd because I didn't want it to be another New Year Resolution. I started off strong because I started on my days off from work. At home there are not any temptations. If I had wanted to cheat, I would have had to shower, dress and go to a store. That's is just way to much effort for a cookie. On Monday back at work I was still on track. I was drinking coffee black, unsweetened tea, fresh veggies, raw nuts, and just good food. By  day 5-6 I would have dressing on that salad because really what is the harm in that. What does it hurt to have a sprinkle of cheese on the salad? I'm eating 95% clean.

     This continued until day 10 which was on January 11th on that day I broke and had a handful of chocolates. I would like to tell you they were worth the cheat but that is not the case. Truthfully though I had not fully committed to the program. I had not really been doing the program 100 % since day 5 or 6. I shared this with my trainer the next day. He shared a quote with me that helped me to change my perspective. The quote is: "We don't rise to the level of our motivation but fall to the level of our standards." So I needed to make this my standard, I don't eat ____.  So then it is not oh woe is me I can't have ___ but I choose not to eat ____ because I don't eat that.  That is my new standard.

     So on Tuesday January 12th, I started anew with new standards and a strong commitment. By day 2-3, I was pretty sure people were put on this planet just to annoy me. Day 4-6, I was tired, I mean it was just to tiring to breathe. I just wanted a nap fortunately it was my days off so I could indulge my need to nap.

     Day 8-19, I had some epiphanies:  one, is that waking up with brain fog for the, past I don't know how many years is not normal; two, black coffee is excellent especially when you indulge in some quality beans and brewing devices; three, I don't have to put up with afternoon energy slumps;  four, unsalted nuts are sweet, I mean really sweet; five, I don't have to wake up every morning at 3:30 to go pee; six, I can go right to sleep at night without all the tossing and turning; seven, I can wake up in the morning awake, alert and rested; eight, sweet potatoes may be the best food on the planet; nine, I can have consistent energy all day; ten, I do not have to have food cravings all day regardless of hunger status. 

     Day 20 it got a little hard again but briefly and it was manageable. The craving came for chocolate on a stressful work day but with a good quality meal and a deep breath the craving was gone. Hell Yeah!  

     Day 21 through 30 have been just awesome. I have energy. I can run, bike, swim & lift and not need mid-activity supplements. Everything is just easier. I'm lighter and no bloat. I lost 12lbs which is the 11 I gained with a bonus and that is with very little volume of training. My mood is better. Some days I feel just plain giddy for no apparent reason which is mildly disturbing. People may think I'm nice! (the horror)  

     Now after day 30 you can start incorporating foods back in to your diet one type at a time. So the other day I had feta cheese on a salad without any noticeable problems, a few days later I had a meal that had rice in it and had a headache afterward so rice/grain might be on the intolerable list for me.

     Truthfully, now on day 44, I have not been that concerned with adding foods back in. I feel too good and I want to continue to feel this way. I don't really miss beans, grains, dairy or even sugar.  I do miss chocolate but I think I would be satisfied with 85-90% dark chocolate. I will test this theory out but not yet, later when I have been off the sugar longer and the habit or standard is stronger. Does this mean I will never eat sugar, probably not. It does mean that when I do indulge, it will be an informed decision, a conscious choice and not a whim. There is freedom in that. 

     So for now I'm going to keep on this Whole 30 journey, add some training volume, add some intensity, keep losing the excess baggage and live my life. Live it feeling better, moving better, and without being a slave to sugar cravings. Life is good!

Live Epic!

Michelle