Our Little Geekling

So, y’all. I have been meaning to write this post for awhile. But I forgot. Or life got in the way, as it does. So here’s the situation: I finished the Whole30.

January 30-February 7 actualities:
-CrossFit four times. Heh, no. I was sick and couldn’t workout. I worked out the Monday and Tuesday of the end of the challenge (Feb 6-7), but NOT AT ALL the whole week before.
-Do 60 sit-ups after each workout that isn’t sit-up centered. See above. But yes, I did.
-Try to SLEEP at least 7 hours per night. Yes.
-Participate in Whole30 eating. Yes. I didn’t cheat, despite being sick. And I HIGHLY recommend the Czech Meatballs from Melissa’s site. So, so good. Dip them in olive oil mayo.

So. I lost 11 pounds. But only 2% body fat. I was surprised by that, because I thought if you had more fat to lose (and oh, holy moly, do I have a HIGH body fat percentage), the fat would come off more easily. I also lost one and a half pant sizes. Jim noticed a change in my appearance, as someone who saw me everyday, and my friend Amy said I looked smaller and my face thinner.

We had to write an essay and submit it to the trainers, answering the questions: What did you expect; what did you want; what did you get? Here’s what I wrote.

            My expectations were as follows: jumpstart weight loss, feel better, feel stronger, easier recovery after workouts, and feel happier. My expectations were largely met. My weight loss of 11 pounds was satisfactory to me. I lost one and a half pant sizes (the size two down will zip, but give me a muffin-top, and nobody likes a muffin top). I feel healthier, and when I have had cheat meals since the Whole30 end I have not felt well. I do feel stronger, and after the initial week of the Whole30 made workouts really, really hard, I felt more capable, and my recovery time was, all around, a lot shorter with a better diet. I did feel happier. I still don’t think I’m ready to give up my antidepressant, but I am ready to start cutting the pills in half to take half doses (at my doctor’s consent, of course). Endorphins really go a long way! And a healthier diet seems to make them flow more readily.

            In signing up for the Whole30, I wanted: to lose weight, to adjust to a lifetime eating lifestyle, to feel more comfortable in my skin, to, eventually, get off of my antidepressants, and to be able to keep up with my daughter. Overall, I feel like the Whole30 Challenge assisted me in beginning these goals. I did lose weight – more than I’ve lost in one month since I was nursing right after my daughter’s birth. I did adjust to a new eating style, and when I’m hungry I snack on sliced bell peppers or cold chicken breast instead of reaching for a string cheese or a box of crackers. I am more comfortable in my skin (and it helps that my husband has noticed a difference, despite seeing me every day). And I’m on my way to being able to keep up with Eriana. I can easily get down on the floor with her, and I spend most of my days with her playing on the floor, without worrying that I won’t be able to get back up.

I am NOT going to post my before and after photos. But I am really proud of everything I accomplished. And I think I could have accomplished more if I hadn’t been sick for a week. Man, croup can really knock a mother OUT. (What? I’m totally cool enough to say that.) But I will say that I am really excited at what I was able to do, and I am even more excited to keep going in my journey with a Paleo diet and CrossFit. I have lots more goals to try to accomplish.