Week 23- whole foods (note lowercase letters)
I didn't lose anything this week. I will not hit my June goal. It's my own fault. For the past 3 days I completely skimped on this week's habit.
This week's habit is to eat whole foods only. (That's whole foods, and not Whole Paycheck.) In other words stick to fresh foods, foods without labels, foods that don't come pre-packaged unless absolutely necessary. I strive to eat that way normally, so even though this is considered a "stretch goal," it's not new to me. I have always believed if it comes in a bag, box, or can, we should avoid eating it.
There are always gray areas when it comes to whole foods though. Canned beans, canned tomatoes, dairy, and intact grains are often considered acceptable in a whole food diet. This week I did include some of these foods such as dairy and steel-cut oatmeal (never rolled or instant). We will try not to talk about the bread and cake at Malcolm and Penelope's graduation party, or the snacking on leftover cake... Next week I am going to try to go full-on paleo. I will not eat any grains, dairy or legumes. Whatever controversy there is about the legitimacy or sustainability of a paleo diet, I know stripping down one's diet to the basics has had some very positive effects on my body in the past.
I think it's kind of funny how LE lulls you into thinking the program is easy for two weeks and then sneaks up on your with some really difficult habit. We go from "create and use a sleep ritual" to "drink only calorie-free beverages." The next week it's as simple as "take a branch chain amino acid supplement after a workout" and then hits me with, "eat only whole foods." Let's see what nice easy habit they give us after next week.
I had plenty of positives this week. I am not getting myself too down about the slip-ups on the habits and the lack of weight gain. Things are happening with my body.
Monday I went to the park to do my new "sprint-and-whatever" workout. First, even though I have only done this workout twice before, the sprints were becoming easier. I didn't feel as if my lungs would collapse after a sprint. Second, my pants kept falling down!* They were truly way too big on me. I bought those pants the week I was stranded in Chicago two years ago due to a blizzard. It was the week after Christmas and I was the heaviest I had ever been in my life (about 15 pounds above where I am now). I think one of the reasons why the sprints seemed easier was that I couldn't run fast when I was trying to keep my pants up.
Also this week I was at the gym and one of the older guys who has been working out there as long as I have commented to me that I had lost a lot of weight. Then he said, "You look a lot better than you did two or three years ago." That just left me asking to myself, "How bad did I look two or three years ago?"
A bonus is that I'm competing in a horse show tomorrow. It's a schooling show, so I don't really have to dress for it, but I still want to look nice. I have no show clothes that fit me anymore (I stopped doing horse shows when I was still in my twenties and then I was using a jacket and ratcatcher I had bought in my teens.) My skinny mother lent me one of her dressage shirts. It fits.
Next week is the biggie. We have the trifecta. In addition to usual weekly measurements and weight, I also have to take photos and do bodyfat measurements. Yikes. I hope I see improvement.
*Free to good home: one pair black, capri-length Lululemon workout pants, size large. Good condition. Do not have see-through butt.
This week's habit is to eat whole foods only. (That's whole foods, and not Whole Paycheck.) In other words stick to fresh foods, foods without labels, foods that don't come pre-packaged unless absolutely necessary. I strive to eat that way normally, so even though this is considered a "stretch goal," it's not new to me. I have always believed if it comes in a bag, box, or can, we should avoid eating it.
There are always gray areas when it comes to whole foods though. Canned beans, canned tomatoes, dairy, and intact grains are often considered acceptable in a whole food diet. This week I did include some of these foods such as dairy and steel-cut oatmeal (never rolled or instant). We will try not to talk about the bread and cake at Malcolm and Penelope's graduation party, or the snacking on leftover cake... Next week I am going to try to go full-on paleo. I will not eat any grains, dairy or legumes. Whatever controversy there is about the legitimacy or sustainability of a paleo diet, I know stripping down one's diet to the basics has had some very positive effects on my body in the past.
I think it's kind of funny how LE lulls you into thinking the program is easy for two weeks and then sneaks up on your with some really difficult habit. We go from "create and use a sleep ritual" to "drink only calorie-free beverages." The next week it's as simple as "take a branch chain amino acid supplement after a workout" and then hits me with, "eat only whole foods." Let's see what nice easy habit they give us after next week.
I had plenty of positives this week. I am not getting myself too down about the slip-ups on the habits and the lack of weight gain. Things are happening with my body.
Monday I went to the park to do my new "sprint-and-whatever" workout. First, even though I have only done this workout twice before, the sprints were becoming easier. I didn't feel as if my lungs would collapse after a sprint. Second, my pants kept falling down!* They were truly way too big on me. I bought those pants the week I was stranded in Chicago two years ago due to a blizzard. It was the week after Christmas and I was the heaviest I had ever been in my life (about 15 pounds above where I am now). I think one of the reasons why the sprints seemed easier was that I couldn't run fast when I was trying to keep my pants up.
Also this week I was at the gym and one of the older guys who has been working out there as long as I have commented to me that I had lost a lot of weight. Then he said, "You look a lot better than you did two or three years ago." That just left me asking to myself, "How bad did I look two or three years ago?"
A bonus is that I'm competing in a horse show tomorrow. It's a schooling show, so I don't really have to dress for it, but I still want to look nice. I have no show clothes that fit me anymore (I stopped doing horse shows when I was still in my twenties and then I was using a jacket and ratcatcher I had bought in my teens.) My skinny mother lent me one of her dressage shirts. It fits.
Next week is the biggie. We have the trifecta. In addition to usual weekly measurements and weight, I also have to take photos and do bodyfat measurements. Yikes. I hope I see improvement.
*Free to good home: one pair black, capri-length Lululemon workout pants, size large. Good condition. Do not have see-through butt.
Comments
Post a Comment