Virgin Diet Finale

So today was my last day on the Virgin Diet.  According to the book it is now time for me to systematically add things back in.  I haven’t really decided if or how I am going to do this part of the program.  Let me back up and give you a short synopsis of my experience thus far.  I want to say up front that I was not perfect on this plan.  I had perfect days, but not all 21 of them.  What seemed to give me problems was the sugar.  I didn’t have any refined sugar, but I did have some leftover paleo treats that I had frozen after Christmas.  With that stated, let me tell you what changed for me over the course of the 21 days.  I started the plan really hoping to lose about 10 pounds.  That did not happen.  At best, I lost 2-3.  I only had 10 to lose to begin with and I was already eating primarily paleo, so this diet wasn’t grossly different from my regular eating.  However, I felt better.  I have been sleeping great, my *ahem* intimate life is better (more responsive), I have more energy and my skin looks great!  As a side note, I have started using the oil cleansing method and I love it.  Not sure how much of the great skin is due to the new skin care regime or the diet.  I suspect it is some of both.  I definitely think that dairy is a problem for me and I have no intention of adding it back in any time soon.  I am thinking maybe 3-6 months from now I might give it a trial.  Even though I was hoping that eggs were not a problem, I think they may be.  I am going to try adding them back in in very small increments- like in paleo mayo- but not eating huge amounts of eggs dishes.  We’ll see how that goes.   As for the gluten, corn and soy- bye bye forever.  The peanuts may still be an occasional treat.  I so love peanut butter and think I can handle it every once in a while as a treat.  The hardest part for me for sure was the sugar.  I am considering doing the 21 day sugar detox in February.  I’ll keep you posted if I do.

Here is the best thing that came from doing The Virgin Diet.  I finally feel like it is ok if I don’t lose this 10 pounds.  Let me say that one more time.  I don’t HAVE to lose this 10 pounds.  I gained this weight about a year and a half ago and have been trying to get it off ever since with no success.  Through this process I realized that eating healthy and feeling good are their own reward.  I’m tired of chasing after that number on the scale.  I will admit that I believed I looked better without the 10 pounds, but I feel better now.  I’m happy and energetic.  Optimistic and cheerful.  Joyful and (at times) a little randy!  So I don’t think I want to restrict calories and do cardio like a fiend to chase that number.  Turns out, I love reading. ( I knew this of course, but I hadn’t taken the time until the last couple of months).  And, I want to improve this blog.  My computer skills are woefully inadequate.  I want to cuddle with my kids and watch movies.  All things that would likely go undone if I felt like I needed to do more calorie counting and cardio. So….all in all….The Virgin Diet was a huge success:)

Virgin Diet Day 12

Started the day out with a chocolate shake.  I can’t believe that I am actually liking these things!  I thought this part would be really hard, but it hasn’t been.  It’s Monday, so I went to CrossFit.  It has been an adjustment not pushing myself at the gym.  I worked on snatch today and backsquat with weights that were crazy light!  I did do more reps than usual, but it still seemed weird.  I listened to a Balanced Bites podcast over the weekend (Diane Sanfilippo and Liz Wolfe) that spoke to the thyroid issue and working out and it reiterated the need to go light and not overexercise with a thyroid that is wonky. So I think I am on the right track.  FYI- Diane and Liz are great!  I would love to be doing something like that at some point.  Maybe they’ll read this and ask me to be a guest.  Oooh, maybe they would like to know more about light therapy.  I think I’ll just send that out into the universe and maybe it will get to them somehow;)  Anyway,things are moving in the right direction.  I’m loving my bitters and my DGL.  Testosterone seems to be helping some, but could probably be doing more.  Not sure at this point if that is due to the thyroid or the fact that I need a higher dose of testosterone.  Guess that is one for the Doc.

Virgin Diet Day 5

This day is just starting so I can’t really attest to my success yet, but I just had to get a few things down.  First, I woke up without a sore throat today!!!  It might be too early to get so excited, but I’m doing it anyway.  I think the DGL must be working.  I went to bed without reflux last night and woke up without the nagging sore throat today.  I have super high hopes for this supplement.  The next noteworthy occurrence was my awakening at 5:15.  Sounds like a bummer, but I felt good so it was fine.  I laid in bed and watched a Hallmark Hall of Fame Christmas movie.  It was super sappy and sweet and I cried a lot.  It doesn’t sound great, but it was!  The kids were still asleep and I was doing NOTHING.  I never do nothing.  I honestly don’t think I had watched a tv movie in 6 or 7 years.  It is now 7:32, the kids are still asleep, the house is quiet except for the falling water of the turtle tank (which is actually a pretty nice sound) and I am sitting in front of our gorgeous real Christmas tree enjoying my morning shake.  It is blissful.  The little things really do make a difference.  I need to start every morning feeling grateful for the little things…

Virgin Diet Days 3 & 4

So just a quick update before I head off to bed.  I am doing pretty well on the 2 shakes a day.  I have been throwing in a snack or two here and there, but they conform to the plan.  I don’t know if I have lost any weight.  Honestly, I am trying not to even look in the mirror.  I feel better and that is where I want my focus to be.  My back pain is about 90% better which is great.  I haven’t had any serious bloating these 4 days which is good.  My energy level is up.  Lots of positives.  The negatives would be that my face is breaking out, which I am hoping at this point is kind of a detox thing and will clear up soon.  Also, I feel like my digestion has slowed down a little.  Hoping this will turn around with time.  I am having a lot more fiber than usual which I thought would speed things up, but for now, it is doing the opposite.  My reflux has been mildly better.  I started a new supplement tonight though which is for that- DGL.  Some sort of chewable licorice form Dr. Andrew Weil.  It is supposed to help increase mucus membranes which is a big issue with Sjodgren’s.  I will keep you posted on how it works.  I have high hopes.

Day 1

So I would call it a success.  I had my 2 shakes.  Chock full of healthy goodness.  I am not quite able to finish the whole thing.  They start out alright, but with the flax and chia seeds they get pretty thick.  I had an apple with some sunflower butter for a snack.  For dinner I had buffalo chicken lettuce wraps.  I really wanted blue cheese on them.  I mean like a drug addict.  Even though I knew it might make me sick, I still wanted it!  I stayed tough and didn’t have it.  After dinner I went to Starbucks with some girlfriends to chat and catch up.  I had a yummy flavored water.   Not very festive, but it didn’t upset my reflux.  Trade offs, I guess.  I had a little bite of coconut later to satisfy my sweet tooth and that was it.  I woke up this morning with a headache that I am assuming at this point is  a little bit of detox.  I am praying by weeks end I will be feeling a noticeable difference.

Starting Early…Day 1

You can never tell what I might do….I have decided to start the Virgin Diet full force today.   I know, I know, it is only 1 week until Christmas, but I have been feeling so crappy that I am willing to forgo the festive food in hopes of feeling festive!  I have been so bloated and crampy that I just can’t stand it!  There is the chance that it is not related to my food, but I really think it is.  I am hoping by Christmas Day I will be feeling noticeably better.  We’ll see….

Baby stepping

So I baby stepped into the Virgin Diet today.  My goals today were to do the shake for breakfast and drink nothing but water.  Mission accomplished.  I did the shake with my vanilla pea protein, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, frozen organic wild blueberries, frozen kale and coconut milk.  It  sounds like it would be horrible, but it really was pretty good.  My intent is for that to be my breakfast for the next few weeks with the exception of Christmas day.  I thought hard about getting on the scale this morning to post a “before” number, but I just felt like it would ruin my day and I didn’t want to go there.  I know I am somewhere in the ballpark of 130 pounds and I think I will just leave it at that until my mental state can handle getting on the scale.  For dinner I made the spaghetti squash pasta in The Virgin Diet book and it was really good.  The kids ate it over quinoa noodles and did pretty well with it.  I will definitely be making it again.  Until tomorrow…