WWGF...

UPDATE:  5/29
It's been over four months now, I thought I'd update.
I no longer have:
~ Achey joints
~ General stiffness when rising
~ Arthritisy symptoms in my thumbs
~ Brain fog
~ Trouble sleeping well
~ PMS symptoms
~ Continual fatigue and tiredness
~ No more swelling in my hands and feet
~ No food cravings!

I have:
~ Clarity of thought
~ Normal short-term memory
~ Consistent energy levels

I am amazed!  I am so thankful to the Lord for showing me what was wrong with my body... 

Along with this book there is a video series I strongly recommend.  Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RE4cXeX7Po&list=PLA4CEE039F82CD4CD&feature=mh_lolz

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Sharing my thoughts and my journey down this path...
A friend recommended the book "Why We Get Fat and What to do About It" by Gary Taubes. 
Upon SKs recommendation I bought this book and read it on our way to Texas Jan 2. I can *not* recommend it highly enough! This is an excellent book and will turn your 'health class' knowledge on his head. He scientifically debunks most every 'diet plan' out there and explains why they don't work long term. I am finally understanding how the body works for the first time. I bought into the "calories in/calories out" lie for all of my life. The history of diets and the science behind how they work/don't work is amazing and very interesting to me.


Jan 2 we were on our way to TX to visit friends. I knew I wouldn't have absolute control of my diet while in someone else's kitchen (on such short notice) but I purposed to cut out Coke and really limit sugar while we were gone. The only sugar I had was a spoon of brownie batter and two small scoops of ice cream (I'm a social ice cream eater ) We even went out to eat and I didn't get a Coke.

We got home on Saturday Jan 7 and Sunday I was down 2 pounds. (Which is not that big of a deal as my weight tends to fluctuate 2 pounds above and below my normal weight...) But on Sunday I started following the plan (in the back of the book). I have been losing every day. Today I'm down 4 pounds since Sunday.

I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I was eating way too many carbs, way more than my body could use... and since your body stores sugar as fat... well, it isn't pretty!

I feel so much better too. I've always been kind of sluggish... all day long... just tired and no energy (except for *bursts* after having sugar/carbs). Oh and I wake up so easily in the mornings now. I'm not tired when I wake up like I have been for years. My energy level feels very consistent all day long

Tuesday 1/23:

I also had a 'carb out' experience to share with y'all. Saturday we had breaky at home (I had turkey bacon) then we left to run some errands planning to be home by lunch. That's when we hit the deer and crashed our plans, pardon the pun.

We ended up hanging out at Peytons while we waited for Tony to get there with our pick up. AT loaned us his car so we could get around as there are 11 of us. Anyway, Traci had sandwich stuff out for lunch but I didn't feel like eating right then. Joseph got some chips but didn't like them so I put them on the table between me and Molly. I ended up eating them, it was a child handfull size so probably less than an oz.

By the time we got home at 4:30 I had to head back out to town to run errands with Molly. It was also her 1/2 birthday night so she chose Pizza Hut for supper. By this time I am so famished and frustrated with myself for eating those chips that I just decided to 'carb out' Had 1 1/2 pc pizza and a Pepsi. Then after errands she wanted a shake at DQ. I decided if I was going to carb out I was gonna do it right (remember this is day 2 of my unexpected cycle) so I had purchased a Twix at WM. So at DQ I got a Sm Coke and drank about half of it along with one Twix bar.

Confession time over... LOL

So after we ate I'm expecting a crash or something. We went to a thrift store, I'm fine. Surprised a little. We went to Cato. I'm still fine. Figuring by now that I have an iron constitution and am not bothered by a Carb Out. Ha. Then, then we went to WM. At this time it's been about two hours since the Pizza Hut experience. I'm having a hard time forming my thoughts. I can't remember from one aisle to the next what I am looking for. I only had about 5 or 6 things on my list but I couldn't remember them. It took me a good 15 minutes to find a shampoo for oily hair for Luke. I finally had to ask another customer

When we got home I was so sluggish and tired. These sluggish feelings, inability to remember, fuzzy headedness, etc... continued on until Sunday evening... so about 24 hours of "reaction" from my Carb Out experience.

Very eye-opening...

I was also struck with an "immediate" need to rush to the bathroom not long after eating the pizza.

Last night we had guests and I had half of a slice of pizza with my salad. I was later hit with the same emergency potty need. Very strange... My stomach was just torn up. Ick.

I just feel SO much better, all around and in every way, when I avoid sugar and grains... it's amazing. I didn't realize I felt so bad until I started feeling so much better

And my weight... it was stable for several days of last week and then it shot up a couple of pounds. I was very confused as my diet had been right on track. AF came on day 23 (so nearly a week early, very unexpected as I had NO pms symptoms, no clue that it was impending...) Yesterday and today my weight is going back down. Today is my all time low

Oh and I have also noticed that my hands aren't swollen anymore. My hands have been just a smidge 'tight' feeling for years. I never really gave much thought to why. But I noticed this week that they are not swollen anymore.

AND the arthritis-y pain that I have had for a while in my thumbs.... GONE.

MONTH 1:  - 11.1
MONTH 2:  - 8.5      TOTAL SO FAR - 19.6
MONTH 3:  - 4.9      TOTAL SO FAR - 24.5
MONTH 4:  - 4.6      TOTAL SO FAR - 29.1