So I've been doing all this research on the Whole30 challenge lately; if you haven't heard of it, go check out the internet for some info because it looks legit. Obviously, or I wouldn't be writing about it. I really want to do the Whole30 challenge because I have struggled with food my entire life. I have never been obese and I can usually maintain my weight at a decent level, but ever since getting married it has become more of a struggle.
My family has never been very health conscious. Growing up we ate out frequently and instead of cooking my mother would stock our freezer with various quick, frozen meals for dinner. Our once a week pizza night and our family dinner at Grandma's on Sunday were the only exceptions to that basic routine. When I moved away from home I tried cooking and I actually tried quite a few new recipes that turned out really well! I tried quinoa and green smoothies too, but mostly I still ate out.
Then I started dating Tim (my husband) and he ate like the bachelor he was and fed me the same way.
About a year and a half into dating him, at 170 lbs, we were planning a trip to go meet his family and I wanted to be in good shape. So I tried the HCG diet. It actually worked pretty good for me. The effect (or placebo) of the HCG supplement helped me not be hungry and I followed the diet rules pretty exactly. I lost about 25 lbs in a month and I looked good. Going off the diet wasn't too bad, I kept the weight of really well and boy, was I grateful! Because that meant that 5 months later when we got engaged I didn't have hardly any weight to lose!
So when preparing for the wedding I worked out everyday, didn't eat sugar, and tried to eat out as little as possible. I toned up but didn't really lose any weight. I was quite stressed and moody during that period; partially from the wedding planning, partially from the thought of marriage. So I saw my doctor and she started me on a mood stabilizer. About 4 months later we were happily honeymooning in Belize with me attempting a bikini even! When I got home and stepped on the scale I was shocked to see that I had gained about 15 lbs in a month. I thought there was no way it would stick and I would just have to stay active.
Over the next year of marriage I watched the number on the scale go up and up.... Till now its at 191. That's about 15 lbs higher than my highest weight before now. I have never been so disappointed in myself. I think the antidepressant has something to do with it and I think I am okay with my mood now so I have tried to wean myself off of it multiple times, but it is very physically addicting medication (I get extreme dizziness and headaches even if I wean myself off it over a 2 week period). So I really need to see my doctor to get some help doing that. I have also heard of a supplement called EMPower plus that has a regimen for weaning you off mood stabilizers so I also want to try that. But I know that even if I get rid of the medication, that is not the only factor that caused me to gain weight.
The other factor to my weight gain is that I just don't know how to eat right. I am addicted to processed foods high in fat and carbohydrates. I can literally feel the rush of serotonin when I eat that Inn N Out burger or those curly fries. Then I feel bloated and sick and tired afterward. That's not fuel for my body, its fuel for my addiction.
So the philosophy of the Whole30 challenge, explained in the book, It Starts With Food, is that every food is either making you healthier or making you sicker, there is no "neutral" food, no "free" cheats. Which actually makes a lot of sense to my brain here. And that you must balance all factors of your life in order to be healthy, not focus solely on one factor (diet, exercise, etc). The factors they include are called the Whole9; nutrition, sleep, healthy movement, stress management, socialization, natural environment, fun and play, personal growth, and temperance.
So my thoughts are that this Whole30 challenge will fuel my body the proper way, the way that it needs, to give me more energy to balance out the other aspects of my life as well! My goals from doing this is to; be increasing my health daily, have more energy and focus, and gain control of my body and my life.
Wish me luck!
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