30 days of WHAT?

by higgsbunch, posted in Uncategorized

My very first post! This is it…this is the first post that people will read and decide if they like me or not. So, I need to write about something that I am familiar with…FOOD!  Being honest, my weight is something that has always been a struggle. I mean, everything stress or success or obstacle that I have faced, I have faced with food. Now, I have found myself having issues with blood pressure, severe back pain, leg pain and unable to comfortably walk a few feet. I realized, and shared with my 4 siblings, that I had to do something soon or I would not be around for my kids. My insurance does not cover bariatric surgery, although I (and my doctor) have petitioned. Therefore, I have to do this on my own. A really scary thought. If I could do it on my own…I wouldn’t be in this situation.

People often think overweight people are lazy and have no willpower. That is not always the case, I promise. There are deep issues that I never realized I had. Food had always been the one relationship in my life that never let me down. I celebrated with food, I grieved with food…food knew me better than anyone else and I liked that. It is so difficult to change 50 years of wrong thinking. It is really really difficult. My siblings were there for me. telling me about a program called whole30. For 30 days, you take almost EVERYTHING out of your diet.  30 days…I thought “I can do that with my eyes closed..it’s just 30 days!” I had to remove all soft drinks (and Lord I do love my diet mountain dew), all sugars…I am not kidding when I say EVERYTHING.  I can’t even begin to tell you about this…here is a link to the plan: https://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/.

I started weight watcher meetings because I need accountability and because I needed a social outlet for this adventure. My siblings (although none of them needed to) all began the whole30 with me also…as did my husband. So armed with a cookbook and page after page of printed material…we started into our 30 days.

Thank God my husband can cook – there is no “easy” meals on whole 30. There is no “drive thru” pick ups on a hard day. You have to organize and plan and then organize again! The program tells you that this will redefine your relationship with food. I didn’t believe that but I thought I would sign up for the 30 days anyway.  Well…after the first week of headaches, I began to see things a bit clearer. After 2 weeks, I was no longer missing my bagel with peanut butter on it and I was down 13 pounds. After 3 weeks, I wouldn’t have touched a diet mountain dew if someone was offering it to me with a promise they would take my kids for the week. After 4 weeks, I felt different. I had visited my doctor prior to starting the program and then again when I finished. My blood pressure was the lowest it has ever been, my weight was down 40 pounds, and I felt amazing.

I used these 30 days to really analyze my food addiction. I will post more on that later, along with measurements and sizes and weight. For this post, I really wanted to let you know where I stand and how I feel that my life has changed. Can I keep this up? I don’t know. I feel strong about it and I know I want to…but Little Debbie and Little Caesar are always nearby whispering into my ear.

That’s what this blog is going to do…it’s going to help me stay on track by being accountable to all that read this. I will be honest with you throughout this journey and I hope to get to know you along the way!

 

 

 

27 thoughts on “30 days of WHAT?”

  1. Way to go Jo!!! It takes a lot to face yourself and overcome. “Be brave enough to just be unapologetic for who you are, that’s a goddess.”. Banks

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  2. Girlfriend! Thank you so much for your refreshingly honest and candid approach to your weight loss journey. I am looking forward to being a part of this adventure with you and your family.

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  3. So very proud of you!!! So many things you said I totally can relate to! We are very proud of you…. keep up the hard work!

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  5. Joanna! You are an inspiration to many! Thank you for sharing your journey and congratulations on your total weight loss thus far! You Rock! Love you!!

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  8. Thank you for sharing your journey, at this point. I am excited to read that you were able to complete the Whole 30 – our family tends to have those bad days and take the car through the drive-thru. 🙂 I wonder if I could plan and fix REAL FOOD!

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  10. You are amazing! Having done the Whole 30 with wheat belly restrictions, I know what an accomplishment this is! I couldn’t get my mindset right and after it I went on vacation and blew the whole month that I had spent painstakingly fixing myself. I never felt better and yet I threw it away so quickly. It’s like you said – it feels like food knows you best. I’m very excited and inspired to follow you ! God bless you for sticking with it and posting and being accountable!

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  11. It sounds great what you’re doing, but I would really recommend an eating plan called Trim Healthy Mama. It is great because you separate your fuels and you can still eat lots….no starving yourself. It too cuts out sugars etc but has alternatives. It is a “diet” for life. You dont have to starve yourself ti get healthy and loose weight. Anyway, all the best.

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  13. Congrats Joanna, and I love the blog!
    I, too, as you know, am a food addict. Despite bypass surgery I still struggle because I am addicted to sugar….so I will keep reading!

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  14. Johanna, your blog is wonderful! As a person who has never had weight problems, I feel a little guilty even posting. I have always appreciated my fast metabolism and my good fortune in the weight ‘gene pool’ and I’ve always tried to eat a reasonably healthy diet, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t eaten my share of junk, but I could get away with it. After I went through the big M (meno (& mental) pause) I gained a new appreciation for what many go through on a daily, heck – hourly, even by the minute, basis. Just looking at a dessert on the menu can cause a weight gain. If I want to indulge in a crem brulee after dinner or have a glass of wine, I have to be willing to hit the streets and burn the calories I just embibed – and sometimes I just don’t want to! It’s so much easier to put the pounds on than take them off – truer words were never spoken! I look forward to following your journey. I truly am proud of you. Best of luck! BTW – you really are a gifted writer. I love your style!

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