I'll admit it, I am a sugar addict. I think the vast majority of us are. And our world seems designed to help us give in to sugar's temptations. A little at every meal and snack really adds up in our body's ability to process, burn and store sugar. Pretty soon, we're pushing into insulin resistance, then pre-diabetes, then full-blown type 2 diabetes. We are wearing out our pancreases with nearly every bite and sip. And deep down, we know it doesn't have to be this way, shouldn't be this way.
But what's the way out? Is it a new pill, a new workout, a new restrictive diet, a new shake, a surgery? I know I tried a LOT of techniques to lose the weight that came after getting married, buying our first home, giving birth to and adopting 8 more children in addition to caring for the first two children who blessedly came in a package deal with their dad. I'm 5'4" and tipped the scales at my heaviest pregnancy at 200#. My regular weight would hover at 180# and I was a size 14. I had pretty much accepted the fact that this was what your body looked like at my stage in life. And I thought changing the way I was eating was either too expensive or too much trouble. I'm sure I was working my way into pre-diabetes.
Eventually, I tried things to be healthier. I took up running. I obsessed over improving my 5k, 10k and half marathon times. I trained for and completed a full marathon (never again!). My weight came down and my health improved but I still hadn't learned how to fuel my body. We adopted a baby who was born prematurely in 2014 and that pretty much interrupted my running "career". Without the grueling activity, the weight came back.
I'll never forget the day in June of 2014 when I innocently went shopping at Costco with my mom in Knoxville, TN. I saw the book, "The Whole 30" by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig on the book table and thought, "That looks like a pretty cookbook. I'll bet it has some nice, healthy recipes. I'll get it." I went home and started flipping through it and realized what it was asking me to do. My reaction was, "I have to stop eating what?!?" But they provided a well-reasoned and intelligent answer behind each food category you eliminate. I was in.
I prepared for the 30 day journey and dove in, completely alone. No one was undermining me, but neither was anyone supporting me. Granted, I'd tried many kooky things before (i.e. vegan for a year), so I'm sure my loved ones thought this was another thing that would come and go.
But it was amazing for me and my body. I've basically been "Whole 30-ing" for a year and a half and I'll never go back to my old way of eating. My normal weight averages 140# and I'm down to a size 6. I never count calories or starve myself. You'll see it again and again in Whole 30 testimonials - the Whole 30 was a "reset" button on my relationship with food.
My commitment to my health led me to my training with the Nutritional Therapy Association, so I am now certified as a health paraprofessional to assist others in taking control of their nutrition, digestion and overall health.
My husband and stepdaughter have made amazing strides in their own health journeys as a result and I can't wait to share their testimonies with you!
I know that changing the way you eat is not easy! But it is definitely do-able and definitely worth it! I'm committed to helping make this journey possible for you with tips, recipes and exercises designed to help you with your reset.