I earned my Whole 30 badge today!

I did it!  I wasn't perfect, there were a few slips, but I have completed my FIRST WHOLE 30!!  Man, it feels so good to say that.  This was such a crazy, ridiculous, expensive month it is nice to have at least this to feel proud about.  I have found something that I'm really passionate about, and I hope that I may have inspired some of my village along the way, too.

So, for the good stuff, right?  I lost a grand total of eight pounds in the past 30 days!  That is incredible for so many reasons.   I haven't been able to work out this entire month.  That means, on diet alone (where I wasn't perfect, we all know about those latte's I had to have) I dropped more lbs in one month than I have ever before in this whole "Don't be a fat-ass" adventure I began in September.  I wish I had been able to combine Whole 30 with working out, but that just wasn't in the cards.  I was in indescribable pain the first 18 days into W30, and in recovery for the remainder.  The doctor has been so impressed with my recovery that I was able to get my surgery scheduled a few weeks earlier than expected.  I contribute a lot of that to my clean diet that has proven to reduce swelling, which has been crucial in my situation.  I also looked up my old measurements and I have lost 2 inches from my biceps, 2 inches in my waist and 3.25 in my FUPA area.  That is insane, yall!  I knew, obviously, that things had changed, but seeing numbers like that is really uplifting.  Lil old PCOS-ridden me is really doing this!  I'm not counting calories, I'm not counting points, I'm not eating boxed foods, I'm not having cheat days or out of control binges - I don't need them!  It doesn't make sense to me to have cheat days when I feel fulfilled and not missing out on anything as is.  If I want a treat, I will give myself one.  I will have a glass (or three) of wine.  Crazily enough, when given the option of having chocolate again or my cinnamon apples, I went for the apples imeediately.  It just makes me feel better.  Creamer in my coffee tastes disgusting, and cheese seems like wasted calories.  I had always heard it takes three to four weeks to break a habit and create a new one, and that is really true.  As hard as it was to start running, I got better at it and even PRed in races.  As hard as it was to go Gluten free, I had to do it and feel better for it.  As hard as it was to cut my eating down to clean and organic as I did, it has changed my views on a life and how I want to fuel this body.   It's made my mommy heart happy that Sawyer has picked up some of the eating habits I have, and wants to eat spinach leaves, fruit salads and vegetables more than ever.  It's really cool.

To continue the great Health Debacle of 2013, my second and hopefully last surgery is scheduled for the 22nd.  Everything is looking great and I am healing up quiet nicely according to the good ole doc.  I was actually healing up so well that I was able to schedule my surgery a few weeks earlier than Dr. T had originally anticipated.  I am so excited to get this ridiculousness over with.  I won't be cleared to workout until the end of March, so I'm looking forward to April being my big return to beast mode at the gym.    I hope to get at least one race done before the heat of the summer kills us all, but following doctors orders I might not be able to attain that and I'm going to have to be ok with it.  Maybe this year will be the year I finally swim a lot?  I just have to be really careful and not undo all the handiwork I'm about to have done.  I will be starting over on my C25K to regain my stamina with running.  I really like that program because it really helps you pace yourself and not burn out too quickly.  

I guess that's it.  Whole 30, take 1 is a wrap.  I proved it to myself that I could do something hard even during trying times, I lost a ton of weight, and I feel really, really good.  I'm toying with the idea of doing another W30 in April when I'm cleared to work out to see how it would go.  I really, really like the Paleo lifestyle and really plan to maintain it.  For my insulin and hormonal issues, the lack of sugar really makes sense and obviously benefits me.  I also hope I can maybe make it the whole time without any damn lattes (even if they were made with soy).  If you are reading this and think "hey, maybe I should give this a try" - just DO. IT.  Seriously.  Take a few days, gather up some recipes, meal plan your little ass off and make it happen.  If you have family members not wanting to participate, tell them to fend for themselves if they don't want to ride the healthy train.  I cooked W30 and if the boys wanted something more or different (including Sean), they would add it to their plates themselves.  It was kind of harsh, but it wasn't like I was trying to be mean - I just knew if I started handling cheese/milk/desserts I would cave and cave quickly.  After a few weeks, it honestly became no big deal, but it was crucial the first week or so to not be around that stuff as much as possible.  Don't beat yourself up if you have a slip.  This isn't about making yourself feel bad, it's about making you be more aware of the choices you make when it comes to food.  Thank you to all my friends for all the support I received during my first W30.  You all made it a really fun and uplifting experience and I loved sharing it with you.  Cheers to another adventure in the books!