Celebrating 20 days sugar & grain-free
debmcintosh
Posts: 8
I want to write about this somewhere, to try to make sure I don't forget it. I'm 48 years old, a life-long dieter who has spent most of her adult life overweight. I enjoyed some success a few years ago using Weight Watchers (I lost 50 lbs, and got myself down to a 185 - 190 lb weight at which I successfully completed a half-marathon and a number of other 10 km races). Then, in the past couple years, I gained most of that weight back.
20 days ago, at a miserable and desperate weight, I decided to give Paleo a try. I ate my last sugar and grain on March 11th, and spent that day researching Paleo information and recipes. Not even three weeks later, I can hardly believe the difference I'm experiencing. 13 lbs has pretty much fallen off my body, but that's not even the biggest thing. Food cravings that I took to be evidence of a BIG-*kitten* eating disorder have almost vanished. My obsession with portion sizes and "getting enough" is all but gone. I don't walk in the door of my home after a day at work and reflexively start stuffing the first food I see into my mouth. My skin is clearing (including the nasty, bumpy areas on my forehead which were previously diagnosed as rosacea), and my mood is immeasurably improved. I feel so much hope, for the first time in a very long time.
This is not, as a friend often quips, "my first rodeo", and I know how easy it is to fall off these evangelical new wagons. But I wanted to write this post for myself, so I don't forget this the next time I find myself buried in a pit of sugar and starch. Hopefully it might also help someone else. I believe what we need to find is the strength to stop gobbling sugar and starch for just enough days to realize how badly they are hurting us. Cause they are hurting us. Then, get a bit mad at the Big Food companies who help us do this to ourselves.
Okay, enough for now from me, a rank newbie :^). I am looking forward to hanging around here a bit!
Deborah
20 days ago, at a miserable and desperate weight, I decided to give Paleo a try. I ate my last sugar and grain on March 11th, and spent that day researching Paleo information and recipes. Not even three weeks later, I can hardly believe the difference I'm experiencing. 13 lbs has pretty much fallen off my body, but that's not even the biggest thing. Food cravings that I took to be evidence of a BIG-*kitten* eating disorder have almost vanished. My obsession with portion sizes and "getting enough" is all but gone. I don't walk in the door of my home after a day at work and reflexively start stuffing the first food I see into my mouth. My skin is clearing (including the nasty, bumpy areas on my forehead which were previously diagnosed as rosacea), and my mood is immeasurably improved. I feel so much hope, for the first time in a very long time.
This is not, as a friend often quips, "my first rodeo", and I know how easy it is to fall off these evangelical new wagons. But I wanted to write this post for myself, so I don't forget this the next time I find myself buried in a pit of sugar and starch. Hopefully it might also help someone else. I believe what we need to find is the strength to stop gobbling sugar and starch for just enough days to realize how badly they are hurting us. Cause they are hurting us. Then, get a bit mad at the Big Food companies who help us do this to ourselves.
Okay, enough for now from me, a rank newbie :^). I am looking forward to hanging around here a bit!
Deborah
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Replies
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Congrats. I had decided to try grain free (and then sugar free) 1/1/2012 for just a month... It is just how I eat now and it isn't a bandwagon for me.0
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Congrats :flowerforyou:
I've been eating primal myself for the past 2 months or so, and have had a lot of the same positives as you!
It was definitely a great choice :happy:0 -
Congratulations Deborah! There is a real sense of freedom when you get off the sugar and grains. I feel like a normal person with food and not a slave to cravings.0
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I was glad to see your post and thrilled you're having success! I started Crossfit last week and, after months of research, decided to dabble in paleo. I saw dabble because I'm a whopping 1.5 days in...:laugh: :laugh:
I lost 75# on WW 12 years ago and managed to keep that off. When I started working out about 5 years ago, I decided I wanted to work on serious body recomp. Spent several years over working and undereating :mad: before I learned there was a better way.
At this point, I'm tired, my head hurts, my muscles are exhausted, my workouts SUCK, and I really want a bagel and, remember, it's been 1.5 days!!! My diet was pretty clean coming in, with the exception of last week when I lost my mind for the first time in years, and I didn't expect carb flu to be bad. Well, I was wrong.
Did you have any 'withdrawal issues"?0 -
I love this post! I'm only 10 days into a Whole30 but am also really noticing the difference! I gotta say, sugar +grains is seriously the worst. I doubt I'll be able to stay away from sugar forever, but just having the knowledge that yes I can live without it is so empowering. So happy you found something that really works!0
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I did have what I took to be "carb withdrawal" flu-like symptoms for a few days - lethargy, fatigue and listlessness. Unfortunately these were quickly overtaken by a REAL virus, so I can't say much intelligent about my withdrawal (it was all one big ball of me feeling crummy, other than the elation I was feeling at having changed my diet and ditched the food cravings).
My daily carbs are running between 100 - 125. I'm not intentionally limiting them, that is just the result of eliminating grains, sugar & legumes. I've eaten a large-ish portion of meat every night (pork chop, steak, lamb stew, chicken breast), with lots of vegetables through the day, and the odd almond-flour treat (I've tried two recipes: pumpkin muffins, and sweet potato drop biscuits - both pretty good). Sweet potatoes and cauliflower "rice" are serving us well during this transition period, while we get used to no starch on the plate!
Anyway, as we say in my other program, "I wish everyone another 24". Hope you all have good days.
Deborah0 -
Yeah! Glad you shared!0
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Very inspiring post! I'm just a few days in myself. I'm making some serious changes to my diet and outlook now that I'm nearing a milestone birthday. Best of luck in your continued success!0
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Excellent post, and I'm glad you're seeing great results. Same to the others who are just starting.
As for carb flu... I had it for about 10 days. But just be sure that you're actually eating enough food in general and enough fat. I struggled at first, thinking that I had to stick to 1200 cals like all MFP newbies, and that made the carb flu worse. I also wasn't yet trusting of the joys of full fat. I'm here to say... it's a true benefit of this diet, so enjoy it.
As for the bagel... I hear your pain. I am someone who has literally eaten a bagel almost every single day of my life since I'm two years old. I'm Jewish. It's what we eat for breakfast. Before Paleo, the only time I didn't eat a bagel is when I was pregnant and diabetic. And it was torture. With both pregnancies, my very first meal after popping those boys out was a bagel with lox and cream cheese. My hubby knew he had to kiss the baby, and then go to the bagel store. Priorities are priorities. I'm happy to say that I haven't had a bagel in over 10 months, I think. And I don't miss them. I wonder now why they had such power over me.
Now, after 10 months, I truly feel like it's a sustainable change and I have a clear sense of when it's worth it to treat and when it's not. I no longer get sick from gluten like I did in the beginning, but I still avoid it in general and only have it when it's a conscious treat. I've made peace with my choices... my Chinese dinner (and leftovers) every couple of weeks, my passover matzah splurges, certain restaurant favorites every once in a while. Because I've made a choice to enjoy certain things, it gives me power to say no to the things that are just not worth it.
Today is a perfect example. Every Thursday, my office co-workers and I have a "chat" where someone shares something they're working on, or we learn about a particular topic. We all share an office and we all work in digital media, but none of us actually work together, so it's fun. The leader ALWAYS brings in fresh donuts, and I always say no... they just aren't worth it to me. Today, he brought in a platter of beautiful Bundtinis. You should see these things. It's crazy how good they look. Normally, I might even make an exception for something this tiny and delicious and declare it a treat. But, I've also declared today a fasting day. In my "pre-Paleo" days, not eating one of those things would be absolute torture. But now, it's not hard at all to resist. I'm more motivated by my commitment to my diet, the fact that I've had my Chinese treats this week, and since I'm sick I'm not working out. So... no thanks to the Bundtini. The power of Paleo is that I'm empowered to say no. Without remorse.
Because I've stuck with it, my family has accepted that this is just the new normal for me. My little boy, who is 5, asked me the other day, "Are you EVER going to stop being a caveman?" I said no, that eating this way helps me to eat healthy, and that's why I like it. He assured me that he eats healthy too, "except for desserts that Daddy gives me". Ha ha. They know that they can ask Dad for crappy food, but if they want dessert from me, they'd better ask for fruit. I'm OK with that.
Sorry for the long post... I'm verbose today.0 -
That is great! I started leaning in to paleo in Jan by eliminating wheat and refined sugar and March 4th started my 1st Whole30 which I completed 2 days ago, I am sticking to the whole 30 strictly for another 15 days and then I'll be adding, very minimally, some dairy to see what happens.
contrats with your success, more to come! :-)0
