Yesterday was day 25, and I had sweet potatoes for breakfast, some guac-mash for lunch, and some pecans and two tangerines for supper.
With that said, day 25 is the last whole30 day for me. I decided after talking with Jason that the last 4-5 days are not going to make much of a difference in the long run. The truth is, I have seen no major or minor changes in the way I feel since starting paleo. The expectations of lesser body/joint pain, better sleep, and more energy were sadly disappointed for me.
Don't misunderstand, I KNOW that doing a whole30 has changed people's lives! It just didn't change mine...at all. Granted, being aware of the things that are put into our food has definitely been a wake-up call - there are so many added things that simply don't need to be in there. And it is good to know that my original instincts were correct, and that I have a hard time digesting tons of produce. I thought I might have a gluten allergy, but we will see how things go as I slowly add things back into my diet.
Overall I am still glad that I took on this challenge, if for no other reason it was good for my self-discipline. I also had a wonderful time bonding with my paleo pal, Michelle - this has been fun to do with her!
The only real result from the whole30 (or whole25 in my case) was a loss of 10 pounds. I'm not sure how much of that was water weight from simply changing my diet drastically, but time will tell. My plan is to continue my weight loss through weight watchers, which focuses on teaching about balance in your daily food intake. I have done it before and had success until I got pregnant again and had to stop. I am looking forward to finishing this goal and maintaining a healthy weight for life.
Thanks so much to all who have been such an encouragement and help during my paleo challenge! I appreciate all of your kind words and helpful tips/gifts. Keep reading the blog, paleo was just one side to Caranci Chronicles - now there will just be more room for pictures of the kids! :D
Don't worry, I'm being careful! I wonder if I really will have a big adjustment, since I had virtually none when I stopped all of it. Should be interesting! :)
ReplyDeleteI have not commented your entire (25) day journey of this, but have been a decently faithful follower of it. ;)
ReplyDeleteI like everything I read about this "Paleo" diet except the dairy and how they (seemingly) primarily get their protein. In my family, we make no absolutes, no calling ourselves by any "name." We feel that serves only to be apart of a "fad" and to distance others from us that aren't "like" us. (I refuse to be that person that goes to a friend's home who has lovingly prepared food for us and respond with, "Umm, we don't eat that." LOL
Anyways, my point is that we have found the differences that you explain that you're looking for in your "PALEO" tab above by following a very loose version of THRIVE (which is vegan, but we're not). We RARELY have dairy, instead we use alternatives like coconut and almond milk products that are SO good for you. And we've MOSTLY cut out all beef, pork, and even chicken, and even still have reduced our fish intake. We make sure that we are indeed getting "complete proteins" everyday from a combination of alternative-to-wheat grains, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds, etc, and a TON of FRESH produce like fibrous veggies (light on the starchy ones) and FRUIT.
I was aching every live long day in my body before this {and bodyrock.tv}, nor sleeping well. Just over a month into this health change my entire family has more energy, is sleeping better, and Aaron and I have lost weight (he's at 17 lbs so far and I've hit 12 as of today! - keep in mind that we've also been working out 3-5 days a week too). But my low back where my number 3 vertebra has been super inflamed for years has eased down a SURPRISING amount. That makes me VERY happy. :)
I'm super proud of you, my friend, for going at this journey so strong and determined. You have done a GREAT job and you're right, excellent for growing self-discipline. :)
LOVE YOU!!!
Rebecca, thank you SO much for your kind words!!! It means a lot to me, really. I struggled with stopping a few days short, but realized the only reason I was going to continue was a pride issue. I knew that 4-5 more days was not going to make a difference in how I felt.
DeleteThank you for explaining what you are doing too! I am pretty sure I remember you struggling with fibromyalgia, and I have just begun to wonder if I may have that, so I'm excited to hear about what you are doing and how much it has helped you.
You are so sweet to comment with encouraging words, and I REALLY appreciate it!
Much love and congrats to you!