I decided to write this post to document how I am doing so far following the Whole 30 program. If you haven't heard of Whole 30, you should check it out! (whole30.com) On Whole 30, the focus is cutting out processed foods, grains, dairy and any added sugar (including alcohol). It is similar to Paleo but a little more strict. I have been following the autoimmune version of it for about 14 days now.
The reason I started on Whole 30 was because I felt like carbs were becoming too much of a focus in my diet and I really just needed to refocus on the good stuff. The one thing I really like about Whole 30 is that there is one rule. NO CHEATING! For 30 days, you have to be PERFECT. I thought this was going to be really tough, but to be honest with you, I feel a million times better than I did 14 days ago. I have had a few cravings here and there, but so far I haven't cheated even a little bit...like not even a bite of something! I am pretty proud that I have stuck it out this far. The way I look at it, you can do ANYTHING for 30 days! In the first 2 weeks of this, I am down 5.6 lbs. I think that alone is enough to stop me from cheating!
Have you thought about refocusing? Summer is right around the corner, but more importantly, why not use NOW as your time to get healthy? Health is everything! Without it we have nothing. What are you waiting for? Eating healthy gives me the confidence and happiness I need, and I know that I am fueling my body with all the right things. If you are lacking energy, having skin issues, health issues...you really need to look at what you are putting into your body. It makes a huge difference!
I heard someone say today "Well I just figure if I am going to eat something I want to enjoy it". We all want to enjoy food, but wouldn't you enjoy living a longer life more then that bite of cake?
If I can make it for 30 days, I know you can, too. I already have a few people joining me in this! Who else wants to refocus and start fresh? Let's do it together :)
A lot has happened since the last time I wrote my blog. As most of you know, about a month ago I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and body.
Around Christmas time, I had been having a lot of "pins and needles"-like sensations and numbness in my feet. In January the tingling and numbness moved up my right leg and into my left, and into my stomach and hands. My left eye became blurry (which at the time I did not know was a symptom of MS). My right leg was so numb that i literally thought I was going to be paralyzed forever. This was the symptom that made me go to the doctor.
After doing my research about MS, I have come to realize that food really is fuel for your body. Every day, we put in so much crap. Since I found out I have MS, I have been doing a Paleo-like diet, with the addition of only brown rice and quinoa as my grains. I have gone to dairy free and gluten free foods, too, and ingredient labels have become my best friends. How many of you reading this check ingredients before you buy your food? You have no idea how many chemicals you are putting into your body until you start really reading.
Before I was diagnosed, I always thought "I don't believe in cutting out foods, everything kills you some day, I want to enjoy what I eat". Honestly, I was so stupid. What you put into your body WILL change you. It can fuel you or poison you...but over time you will definitely see a difference if you change how you eat.
Since my last blog, as of today my body feels 100 times better than it has in a long time. I have started doing skyrobics classes. This is an aerobics class on a trampoline that burns about 1000 calories in a class. If you are ever in a bad mood, you should do this class. I leave every time feeling so good and happy! I have also been doing an MS workout that a friend gave me and working with an awesome trainer.
Exercise is such a great thing for your body. The quote in the picture at the beginning of this blog is there because I just want everyone to think for a minute. What would you do if all of a sudden you couldn't feel your leg? If you couldn't put any pressure on it or balance on it? This happened to me. You never realize how much you take your body for granted until you can't use part of it. Exercise is a gift. Be proud that you can walk and run and use every part of your body. There are a lot of people out there who can't and you never know when something will get taken away from you.
As of this point in my journey, I am down a total of 79 lbs and really working hard for that 80! I know I will get there! My goal until my next blog is to keep consistently exercising and planning ahead with my meals. I don't think I will have a hard time with this because now, my quality of life depends on it. I am so happy with how far I have come since I started this journey. Please let me know if you want a workout buddy or just need some accountability! I will be here for you. Even if I don't know you that well, please reach out if you need help!
If I can do it, I know you can too! <3
Since today is a snow day, I figured it was a good time to update my blog! The other day I met up with two of my friends. They asked me to meet with them because they wanted to talk about what has worked for me and they wanted to get motivated. My first thought was "aww that is so AWESOME that I can motivate other people by my hard work". My second thought was that I needed to work with them on 2 things: goal setting and changing their mindset about weight loss.
Goal setting is one of the most important things you need to do to get the results you are looking for. Having a goal in mind will help keep you motivated and also remind you of what you are working for along the way. Do you have a goal for yourself right now? If you do and you are still having a hard time...you need to think about how you are wording the goals you are setting. Any goal you set should have 3 characteristics.
It should be:
- Within your control- your goal should not rely on something someone else needs to do so that you can get there.
- Specific- For example: If I say to myself "I will wake up at 5 AM and workout"...chances are (for me) this is not specific enough. What do I plan to do at 5 AM? Well I don't really have a plan except "to workout". My goals that ensure I will get up at 5 AM for my workout are usually worded as "I will wake up at 5 AM and do my 45 minute body pump DVD". Without the specifics, it is easier to change your goal, or just forget about it all together.
- A good fit with your life-Goals such as "I will cut all carbs out of my diet" are not going to work for you if you love carbs. You have to do whatever is going to make this a lifestyle change for you, not just a short term thing.
One of the other things that I have found to be important along my journey to getting healthy is my mindset. It is ALL about what you put in your head. Yes, weight loss or just being healthy in general is 99% diet and exercise...but a HUGE 1% of it is what you think about to keep you going. If you let one bad meal throw you off because you have the mindset of "oh well I already ruined all my hard work so forget it for the rest of the day", you are a lot less likely to keep going for the long term.
When I was talking to my friends last night, I told them about one time over the holidays when I had one of those moments, that I am sure everyone has at one point, where I thought to myself "Every time I take a step forward, I take 3 steps back the next day". Thoughts like this can completely derail your progress. The good thing is that even though I still have thoughts like this, I have learned how to manage them. As soon as I thought about taking my 3 steps back, I looked in the mirror and said to myself "Really? You are going to let 1 bad day ruin all of your progress? You have come a lot further forward then you have gone back!" It is all about perspective. Every day is a new day...every meal is a new meal. How bad do you want it? Excuses and negative thoughts will just keep you where you are right now. Change your thoughts and you will change your life...I promise.
I felt like I needed to write this blog because I know a lot of people who need help getting motivated right now, so why not share some of my motivation. If you need help getting started, or keeping going, I am here to help! Message me on here or Facebook and let's get you where you want to be! I need more friends on the path to getting healthy! Let's do this!
