You have to read the book...

I've been posting my progress on the Whole 30 detox program on Facebook from time to time as well as blogging about it.  I have had MANY friends- as in 10-20, tell me they are going to do it as well.  Some have even started.

Here's the thing-- a lot of them haven't bothered to read the book, "It Starts With Food."

It sounds easy- no sugar, no dairy, no grains, no beans, no alcohol. 

With that said, there are a 1,000 more questions-- what about sweeteners?  No.  No sweeteners.  I'm trying to break my habit of eating sweet things.  Plus, they are chemicals.  This is a detox.  I don't want to replace regular food with chemically altered food.  Hence the name the WHOLE 30- it's referencing whole foods for 30 days.

What about yogurt?  Yogurt is dairy.  There is lactose in it.  It will spike your insulin levels.  The primary purpose of this program is to get your insulin levels in check.  At the end of 30 days, add it in, see how you feel.  But you have to follow it.

And honestly, I don't mind being a resource for people, but if they read the book they would understand that this isn't the Cabbage Soup Diet.  It's not a quick fix to drop weight fast.  There is a chance, although I can't imagine when this would apply, that YOU MIGHT NOT LOSE ANY WEIGHT. 

What the Whole 30 is, to me, is a way to reset my body's thermostat and my brain.  I have to shut down the whole system and add things back in.  But I have to shut it down first.

And again, it is NOT a diet, it's a detox.  You have to eat. 

I think so many of my friends are used to dieting.  The thought of having 2-3 eggs for breakfast with bacon frightens them.  Eating fruit for my low carb friends is scary.  Nuts and olives are the anti-christ for my Weight Watchers friends. 

Now, when my weight loss does stop- because I have to lose weight- I will need to watch calories, cut down on the nuts (especially the nuts), monitor my fruit a little more- but for the first 30 days, I don't.  I am not counting calories.

WHAT?

No.  You don't count calories.  You eat until you're almost full.  Wait a little.  If you're hungry eat some more.  It's not just resetting my metabolism, it's resetting my mind.  That's a very big deal if you're a perpetual dieter like I am. 

I am not deprived.  My body is learning to use food for energy.  I am learning to eat food for energy.

But you have to do the whole thing.  Giving up a few things, does not a lifestyle make. 

And did I mention I am doing a LOT of weight training? I told my husband that once again, I was working out at the gym yesterday and 3 men- including 1 extremely fit man- looked at the weights I was using and very sheepishly moved theirs up.  It's getting to a point that it's pretty funny.  Yes, that was 200 lbs that I was using on the adductor machine.  I may have only squeezed out 5 reps but I did 10 at 190 and 25 at 180.   I think I embarrassed them with their 70 lbs.  That's why I was sweating and they were not.  And the laps that I used to walk-- I am jogging if not actually running them.  Eventually, they will be sprints.  And I'm doing reps at a fast pace so I get a cardio workout as well.  High weights, fast reps, intermittent cardio bursts, something different every time- thank you Crossfit!

If you are trying this along side me, I strongly recommend that you read the book so you know exactly what it is that you're trying to do.  It's not a quickie diet.  I know EVERY diet says that, but this really isn't. 

If you had told me that 3 weeks ago I would say "I don't really care if I ever have ice cream again..." I would have told you you were nuts.  But you know what?  I don't really care if I ever have ice cream again.

I'm not going to lie.... my son's birthday is Saturday and last night I made rice crispy treats for his class.  I love them.  THAT was hard.  But you know what?  I got on the scale and I'm down another .4 lbs.  If I had had one, I would have gone on a binge because my sugar levels would have gone "YOU'RE BACK!!  WE MISSED YOU!! WHY STOP WITH ONE?!?!?!"  Maybe in a few months when everything is reset I can enjoy just one.  But not now.  It's not worth it.  This is working.

And I miss wine.  Not that I drank that much before.  I miss the socialization that comes with having a glass with my husband once or twice a week.  Having friends over and laughing on the patio with a glass or two or three or okay, well, a bottle....  I will definitely bring that back in.  At least a glass or two.  But cheese, cream in my coffee-- I think I'm okay without that.  It's not worth the damaging that it seems to have been causing my body.

Maybe not for you- but it was definitely the Rosetta Stone for me.

So if you're joining me- and please, please do-- please get the book and read it.  Or check out their website.  Don't try to wing it.