The Scale does matter.

Wow I just realized I hadn't posted in a while. Sometimes I have great ideas it just never makes it here. Today I was thinking about that dreaded scale, and dieting, and just all of it. I recently discovered a bunch of my sheets from Weight Watchers.

This was a little perspective of restarts for me. Each time I returned and attempted to lose weight. I was paying this company 15 dollars a week to weigh me, and then I had the choice to attend the meeting or not. Don't get me wrong this works for so many, but if it really was the answer why would I be back time after time.

I would like to say the scale doesn't matter, and as much as I tell myself that, it just is not true.  I can tell you I don't care about that number but in fact I actually do. I use it as a tool, one of the many to I use to gauge my health and well being. I also use how my clothes fit, how I feel in my body, how I feel working out. So yes the scale matters to me. The times that I have ignored it completely for several months are the times that I have let go of being healthy and gained substantial amounts of weight, there are also times when I was on it each day hoping for it to move if only one tenth of a pound.

A few years ago I gave up the dieting, this was my first experience with whole30. During my first whole30 and the one I have done subsequently along with a few whole14 or 7's I avoid the scale during that time, but as I feed myself healthy compliant foods I know in the end the scale will remain the same or less. My last whole30 was in January and while I wasn't expecting to lose weight I lost 10 pounds and have kept them off since. Not dieting not restricting, eating well most of the time and mixing in those foods that I don't want to pass up or are worth it even in the moment.

I tried to tell myself that the scale didn't matter but what I discovered is it does, its not the only thing that matters but to me I have developed a way to use it to keep me in my journey and to not derail me or make me feel bad if it does not reflect the number that I like. So the scale can be a wonderful tool and with all tools it needs to be used properly.

Todays Transformation!

If you know me you know I love my podcasts. I listen to several of them, different subjects from TED talks, to Small Town Dicks. One of my favorite podcasts is Primal Potential. I have learned so much about food nutrition and all the emotions and motivations that are behind the scenes. I have never joined one of her groups, but I am sure they are great. Today I listened to the episode The Transformation is Now. I actually listened to it twice ( I know I'm such a nerd). There was so much in there that spoke to me, the rebranding and the transformation is now. I listened to part before going into the store. The words stuck with me as I passed by the cookies "The Transformation is Now" not tomorrow, not next week, but what can I do right now. Then I finished the episode as I pulled up to the spin studio for cycle class. I walked in with those words: "The Transformation is NOW'! I seriously kicked my own ass and left with a huge smile on my face.

Elizabeth makes a great point that we see transformation as something long term, before and after pictures a journey, but maybe if we took a little time and just told ourselves that
THE TRANSFORMATION IS NOW!!
It is in every choice, it doesn't start tomorrow, it doesn't end next year but it is now.
This mind set just backs up that you don't have to think about what is going to happen in a month, a year, or even on Monday but what can you do today right now that will get you closer to your goals. If you haven't listened to this podcast I definitely recommend it. She records twice a week and its nice to have a little voice of motivation, someone who has been down the road of change to inspire you. Thanks Elizabeth I really enjoyed this episode and I think we can start a hashtag and a revolution.
Check out the website: https://primalpotential.com

Reintroduction

Reintroduction is the final step of the Whole30 reintroducing foods that you have taken out and taking the time to see how they make you feel. This gives you and idea if in the future these foods will be worth it.
During my last Whole30 I had a DQ Blizzard on day 31, trying to reintroduce everything at one time and decided I didn't need to do that part, but over two years later I didn't want to pass on the opportunity to fine tune and see if dairy is really effecting me or if I would do fine having it back. I started with non-gluten grains; corn chips, rice that all seemed to go well I did feel a little bloaty after the chips but that may have been the volume I consumed. Next came dairy in the form of cheese, yogurt, latte all the things I hadn't had in a while.

That I when I started to experience a rash on my face and there I was blaming dairy. I went back to whole30 eating for several days and realized the rash was not going away. I was super frustrated and here I was nearly two weeks after my Whole30 I hadn't even got to gluten or sugar and could not get rid of this rash. I sat down at my computer and was doing some homework and munching on some cashews when my face got pretty itchy.

I turned them over and there is was Rice Bran Oil! What the heck is that? I had only just recently done some research on it after trying to figure out what I could eat at Chipotle while on Whole30 and much of their meat is cooked with it. I threw those cashews away and within days the rash was disappearing. At this point Valentines was approaching and I decided not to continue my reintroduction. At first this felt like a failure but after six weeks I wanted a piece of salted carmel dark chocolate from my favorite place, and my friend had brought back some delicious cookies from hawaii.
I didn't follow the plan completely but I learned that non-gluten grains are fine for me as long as I don't over indulge. I also learned that rice bran oil does not agree with me when eaten each day as handfuls of cashews.

Now I am on to Food Freedom Forever. I have read it before but have trouble sitting down so I took advantage of my free Audible book to listen to it. This is really a great look at food and dieting. It is not just for those after Whole30 but would apply to most people a look at how food effects you physically, and emotionally.

January Whole30

This guy and I had a great January Whole30 and lived to tell about it.

This was my second time doing Whole30. Back in 2015 one of my close friends introduced me to the idea. At first it seemed impossible 30 days without all the yummy stuff? But at the time I needed something and this was it. We completed our first Whole30 and it truly changed my life. Okay not so grand as that sounds but it did break my diet cycle. I have been dieting since my teens, very regularly restricting calories measuring everything, writing it down, weighing in, and then gaining back and starting over. Whole30 was the thing that helped me stop all of that. For 30 days only eating real whole food, but only what you are hungry for, no binging, no sneaking, no cheating, and no weighing. It seems so restrictive and seems like it would have the opposite effect but when you are through you feel better, I didn't even know how bad I felt I didn't even know what some of the things I was putting in my body were doing to me. 

Since my first one I have done some mini ones like 7-10 days. It really does get me back into a cycle of eating food that helps me feel better. 

January was my second time completing the Whole30 this time again my husband was my support and another friend. Here are some highlights of my january Whole30. 

My skin is always the first place to notice and improvement. For years I had not idea that it was linked to food. This is just a few days difference.

We did a great job meal planning and grocery shopping last week which has helped with our busy lives, knowing what is for dinner every night has saved time and money. 

 

 Food prep is time consuming but I honestly started to feel a stress relief in cutting so many vegetables as well as appreciating the beauty in fresh food. No bland colors here. We have loved the Whole30 Fast & Easy addition to the collection.
So clear skin, good habits less bloat, more energy those are my results. I did also lose 8 pounds, wasn't really the goal of this Whole30 but I am not complaining.

 Next up my reintroduction journey.

New year reflection

Here we are 10 days in to the new year. I have been reflecting on past new years and how this one is absolutely different.

New Years Eve 2004

This year I did jump on board with January Whole30, it is kind of fun to do a Whole30 that so many others are in the same place. My hub is in it with me as well as a local friend. Support is all around. What is different about this January. For maybe the first time in my adult life my new year focus has nothing to do with my weight. Wow that is a super big deal for a 41 year old woman. I started this round of Whole30 at the weight I finished my first Whole30 nearly three years ago.

Have I finally broke the cycle of gaining and losing weight?

Earlier this year during and after my recover from my foot injury I noticed the scale creeping up. I got worried and decided I would do some calorie counting and fix that right up, but I also wanted to keep with my Whole30ish eating. This lasted all of about one day. The anxiety and stress of measuring food and keeping track and being hungry, looking up calories. This just all is not for me.

Here I am several months down the road after eating healthy most of the time, exercising and not obsessing and my weight is back down to a comfortable spot.

Since starting this round of Whole30 I have noticed an overall decrease in bloating, and my skin is looking so much better. These are the rewards of eating real whole foods. I don't measure any portions, I'm not starving and I feel good. This is why it works.

Do I miss other things that are not on Whole30? Of course! It's only 30 days and after that I can go back to eating those things in moderation when it is worth it.

Food Freedom.