Day 30

Ok I actually think yesterday was day 30. My thought was that I would go from Jan 9-Feb 9 but that's actually 32 days but whatever.

Here are my thoughts and outcomes on this experiment:

In 30 days I lost ten lbs total. I swapped 2% of my body fat for muscle mass. My resting heart rate is down 10-15 beats per minute and even though my heart rate during working out is still in the high range, it is, on average, 20-30 fewer beats per minute lower than it was at the start as well. My skin is clearer. My allergies are improving. (Potential over share here: I have not had a yeast infection since one week into this, which trust me, is a freaking miracle. I credit the lack of sugar in my diet for this exciting change!) I don't get chest pain when I work out anymore and my heart doesn't do this weird pounding thing it use to do at random times. My blood pressure is a few points off from being in the "totally healthy this is where your blood pressure should be" zone, which makes me EXTREMELY excited. I wish I could have a blood draw done and compare the numbers to what they were last September, which is when I has the last one done. At that time, I my bad cholesterol was high (not a shock) and my good was at a decent level but needed to be brought up. I had virtually no vitamin D, and it was clear I was pushing type II diabetes. I would love to see if these things have improved.

I am down a pant size. I can touch my toes. As odd as it sounds my sense of taste is much sharper. I can confidently go for a jog, knowing I will be able to finish the entire thing no problem. I have less joint pain overall. I can see muscles again, can hold a plank for a full 30 seconds (I started at 10 seconds and my goal is to be able to do a minute by the end of the month.) My stress and anxiety levels are manageable and although I still struggle a little with depression, it feels more manageable. I don't know that fitness and nutrition will completely take those two issues away (depression and anxiety) but they certainly have helped them improve a great deal.

Here's a review of what I did over the past 30 days:
I logged EVERYTHING I ate. I ate only fresh foods, nothing processed. For meats, ate fish three times a week, otherwise ate chicken (with one exception at one meal when I had roast beef). Made sure I had 5 servings of veggies a day and at least 2 servings of fruits. They had to be fresh! Nothing from a can. I did allow frozen berries to count but ate fresh whenever I could. I snuck in veggies at snack time and added fresh fruit to my morning hot cereal and I ate only whole grains. I did not limit the amount of veggies I ate. I avoided sugary foods, but didn't completely cute them out of what I was eating (a treat once a week was ok, although it usually threw me off for a day a two while I fought intense sugar cravings.) I had nuts or seeds every day. I exercised, intensely, 3-4 times a week, sometimes more.

So, turns out the experts are right. Eat lots of fresh veggies, fruit and whole grains, eat few if any processed foods, exercise regularly, and you will be healthier. For me, it's not just a little bit healthier. I think this life-style will seriously prolong how much time I have here on this planet with loved ones.

Will I continue with this way of living? Um, yeah. It's kind of a no brainer. Want to live? Then do this. Always. There are a few things I will allow back into my diet, although they will appear in healthier forms: chips in a low sodium, whole or multi-grain form. (because chips and salsa are a killer good snack) and vanilla almond milk. It's great to use for mixing up the protein shake I like.

So there we are. The 30 Day Anti-Supersize Me Experiment is complete, but the habits shall continue. And I will continue to blog because it's a great way for me to process what I'm learning and experiencing. I still have so many goals to reach and they won't be accomplished by going back to old ways. So I continue to be a healthy eating, exercising, fit, active person.

Next BIG goal: half marathon in June :)