As we leave the month of September behind, our Whole 30 Paleo Challenge draws to a close. What does this mean? Is it time to chow down like never before? Pop the cork on all your wine bottles at once? Drive through a Dunkin' Donuts with the top down and grab everything in sight? Or are you planning to incorporate what you have learned this past month into your ongoing diet regimen?
I can only speak for myself, but I feel it would be a crying shame to spend an entire month cleansing my system of alcohol, sugar, grains, and all refined and processed junk, just to immediately pollute my body again. Although "technically" I am finished with the program, I have no desire to return to the bloated state in which I began. So I plan to tread carefully. I need to discover some kind of balance between enjoying a treat now and then, and ballooning up like a beached whale.
Do you want the numbers?
I weighed in this morning after 30 days and discovered I have lost 4 pounds. I also lost about an inch from my waist, which is the only measurement I took. I think I lost most of the weight from my feet and my face, although an inch of belly fat is nothing to sneeze at. Today, I am wearing a pair of Bermuda shorts which were too tight a month ago. So all of this is good news.
My husband thinks I should be wild with happiness over these numbers. To tell you the truth, I was hoping for a little bit more. But with menopause breathing down my neck like a Harry Potter dragon, I guess I need to appreciate what I have accomplished so far and just keep going.
I am not running out today to purchase boatloads of junk food. I don't plan to open a bottle of wine tonight. I will probably allow myself a small treat later, but my goal hasn't changed. I still need to lose a few more pounds. And adding a bunch of alcohol, sugar, and grains to my diet will not get me there.
As I stumble belly-first into menopause, I am realizing that the Whole 30 (or a program very close to it) is going to have to become a way of life for me. It is a simple choice: either I cut WAY back on empty calories or I burst out of my pants. Although neither choice is particularly sexy, I know which way I have to go.
If you joined me for even a small part of the challenge, let me know how you did. Did you see any benefits? Would you do it again? How does January sound?
I can only speak for myself, but I feel it would be a crying shame to spend an entire month cleansing my system of alcohol, sugar, grains, and all refined and processed junk, just to immediately pollute my body again. Although "technically" I am finished with the program, I have no desire to return to the bloated state in which I began. So I plan to tread carefully. I need to discover some kind of balance between enjoying a treat now and then, and ballooning up like a beached whale.
Do you want the numbers?
I weighed in this morning after 30 days and discovered I have lost 4 pounds. I also lost about an inch from my waist, which is the only measurement I took. I think I lost most of the weight from my feet and my face, although an inch of belly fat is nothing to sneeze at. Today, I am wearing a pair of Bermuda shorts which were too tight a month ago. So all of this is good news.
My husband thinks I should be wild with happiness over these numbers. To tell you the truth, I was hoping for a little bit more. But with menopause breathing down my neck like a Harry Potter dragon, I guess I need to appreciate what I have accomplished so far and just keep going.
I am not running out today to purchase boatloads of junk food. I don't plan to open a bottle of wine tonight. I will probably allow myself a small treat later, but my goal hasn't changed. I still need to lose a few more pounds. And adding a bunch of alcohol, sugar, and grains to my diet will not get me there.
As I stumble belly-first into menopause, I am realizing that the Whole 30 (or a program very close to it) is going to have to become a way of life for me. It is a simple choice: either I cut WAY back on empty calories or I burst out of my pants. Although neither choice is particularly sexy, I know which way I have to go.
If you joined me for even a small part of the challenge, let me know how you did. Did you see any benefits? Would you do it again? How does January sound?
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