Thursday 1 March 2012

Wrap-up















Woo, I completed my first Whole30!

I have to say it was way easier than I thought it would be and think that is largely due to how strict it is. It is simple, there is a list of foods you can't eat and that's it, no compromises, no excuses and no "in moderation", you just cannot have them, at all!

That being said, there were a few times that I cheated on the plan, in my opinion they weren't bad cheats and I'm quite proud of myself that this is all I cheated on, given my history with food and self control (see pics below!).

There were a couple of times early on where I considered seriously cheating, but both times Glenn actually talked me out of it, so I'd like to give a big thanks to him for not letting me slip up early on, it gave me the motivation and strength to keep going and get through the 30 days with few issues.

Times that I cheated knowingly:

- Used fish sauce that contained sugar in a curry (on two occasions)
- Drank a soda water with lime cordial instead of lime juice (Valentines day, we were out)
- Ate 1 baked potato with a takeaway dinner
- Used some wholegrain mustard that contained sugar when cooking meatballs

Times I may have cheated accidently, but can't be sure:

- The hollandaise sauce on grilled salmon (contained butter?) and dressing on the salad (looked like balsamic and oil but can't be sure) when we were out for Valentines day.

- Take away Italian chicken casserole x 3 (maybe sugar in the tomato sauce, two of the meals looked like they had a tiny amount of parmesan cheese on top, the first time I just ate it and the second time I scraped it off, so maybe that first time counts as deliberate!).


All in all I think it's incredibly impressive that I managed to go a full 30 days without any:

-Alcohol
-Grains
-Chocolate
-Dairy (other than the times mentioned above)
-Legumes
-Sugar (other than the times mentioned above)

I missed alcohol, chocolate and early on I missed yogurt, but at no stage did I miss grains or legumes or sugar in any form other than chocolate. I also did not miss milk and came to love black coffee!


So my plan is that I am going to try and minimise eating any of the things on that list that I did not miss, and the others I will eat in moderation and only when I really want to. There are so many paleo recipes and substitutions out there that there is really no need to introduce those non-paleo things back into my life on a regular basis. Meals out with friends/family and the odd take away meal are definitely an exception though and I give myself permission to eat whatever I feel like at the time, because there is no point being a social pariah!


I completed this program whilst doing Crossfit 3 times a week and I never felt hungry or deprived. I also improved on all my lifts, chin-ups, push-ups etc. and my energy levels were stable throughout the day and I never felt sleepy in the afternoons.  

I would highly recommend this plan for anyone whose eating is out of control and who wants to reset the way they think about food and also lose some weight in the process. It was awesome and I will probably do another one in the future. Now for the physical results....

Physical results

                                                                              
Before 
Weight: 79.8kg           
Waist measurement at belly button:  91cm            
Waist measurement 5cm above belly button:  83cm
Waist measurement 5cm below belly button: 99cm


After
Weight: 74.7kg (-5.1kg)
Waist measurement at belly button: 86cm (-5cm)
Waist measurement 5cm above belly button: 79cm (-4cm)
Waist measurement 5cm below belly button: 94cm (-5cm)

Photographic proof




Before


Nice rolls! 






















After





































Now if you're prepared for it, here are some pics of me in my undies! They are not in the least bit sexy, I didn't really plan on putting them on the internet, but they really show the difference in my body shape since I started Crossfit in November. Warning - seriously un-sexy photos ahead!



November 2011, before I started Crossfit





Me in Jan after 2 months of Crossfit and before Whole30
















Me March 1st, after 3 months of Crossfit and 30 days of Whole30

















Maybe soon I'll have abs :)


Now just to give you some context, here are some photos of me throughout the last 6 years, starting with my heaviest weight of 107kg back in 2006. Yes they are hideous.


2006 - 107kg. Ugh so unhealthy!


2006 - 107kg. Mm attractive.

























                                                                                                                                                             


2006 - 107kg. Seriously hideous, I almost didn't post it!

Okay, enough of that! Here is me after some hairdye, some exercise and healthier eating.


I think this is 2007 or 2008, probably about 80kg. 
2009, I'd put some back on, probably 85-90kg
2011 - Under 80kg here and looking pretty good!

So, as you can see from all these photos of me at various weights, you can completely change your body shape in a relatively short amount of time. Obviously I highly recommend Whole30 and Crossfit, but if you're not ready for that then just start small, every bit helps!





























4 comments:

  1. I just want to say that at no point in the history you posted were you hideous! But I completely relate to feeling that way (I'm a little behind your progress in my own weight loss journey). Great job doing something so good for yourself and making so much progress! Congratulations!

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  2. Thanks Christy :) I certainly had a hideous diet back then, if nothing else!

    You'll get there, sometimes it feels like it's 1 step forwards, 2 steps back, but you've just got to stick with it and not beat yourself up if you slip up one day, just get straight back on it the next. Good luck :)

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  3. Your photos are amazing of your journey!! Keep going with what you know!! Fantastic effort on Whole30 and your incredible changes!!!

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