My Skinny Friends Skip Sweets
“If you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness.” – Unknown
Feeling Fat
The picture above is a photo of me, when I lived in Florida. I was smiling, but my dimples were buried. My face was too bloated for them to appear. Usually, these natural indentations in my flesh are quite distinct.
Normally, my eyes are large and wide. They were also swallowed up by my cheeks. My two most attractive, facial features were lost by the abnormal thickness surrounding them.
This picture was a true depiction of what I looked like at the time. I cannot blame the angle of the camera. My small eyes and non-existent dimples were consistent in every picture taken of me that night. Sure, pictures add 10 pounds, but they do not gobble up your facial features.
I was in my 30s. However, I was lethargic and in need of an energy boost. The thought of stepping on a scale was nauseating. I avoided this evil at all costs.
A Change Was Needed
One of my dearest friends, Brenda, presented a solution. In January, she found a group of women who were participating in an elimination diet. The goal was to test various foods to see what we were allergic to. The group would meet for eight weeks. Brenda asked me if I wanted to join her, and I agreed. I needed to make a change.
The Process Launched
At our first meeting, we were challenged to participate in the group for two months. Everyone agreed. The facilitator discussed nutrition and gave us a list of foods which may trigger allergic reactions. We were told to pick a handful of foods to eliminate.
The first week would be the most difficult, as we would remove everything from our diet. As the weeks progressed, we would slowly add things back to test our tolerance to each food. We would then measure any negative reactions we had, as a result of eating certain trigger foods.
I decided to take a different direction and eliminate four things for the eight weeks. Those foods were gluten, sugar, alcohol, and processed foods. However, I made a few exceptions.
My Choices
My goal was to reach my optimum health. Thus, I decided to start with items I thought impacted my health negatively, the most.
I gave up gluten because of all the buzz around this protein. My curiosity was piqued, and I wondered if I would feel any different eliminating gluten from my diet.
Giving up processed foods was a no-brainer. Anything unnatural really should not be considered food in the first place.
I have a sweet tooth. My skinny friends tend to make healthier choices and pass on dessert. I love to indulge in chocolate, Nutella, and anything sugary. The extra kick of energy and pleasant taste in my mouth have always had me hooked.
Alcohol was also a no-brainer for me. I am more of a social drinker and tend to enjoy wines and mixed cocktails the most. Of course, the drinks I gravitate towards are loaded with sugar.
To see if eliminating these foods impacted my health, I did not make any modifications to my exercise routine, or lack of routine, until after my eight weeks ended.
My Modifications
Although I considered yogurt to be processed, I rationalized the probiotics made yogurt healthy. I skipped cheese, but I deemed yogurt okay. Today, I would not have made the same decision.
I also ate hummus, when the ingredients were limited. Again, I rationalized this was a protein and good for my body.
Even though honey contained sugar, I saw raw honey as a super food. I included this in my diet, as well.
Note: Today, I know what foods I am allergic to, and I am equipped with much more knowledge than I had back then. My nutritional habits are now based on what foods fuel my body, as indicated through blood work.
Accountability
Each week, we would share what we had eliminated, what we actually ate, and whether we cheated. A lot of women caved into their temptations or dropped out early. Not many stayed the course.
Although I love food, I am stubborn. When I set a goal, no matter how stringent, I will follow through. I held firm for the eight weeks, except for one night when I attended an Oscar party with a friend who was visiting from out-of-town. Champagne, cheese, and all sorts of indulgences were part of my pallet that night. The next day, I went back to no gluten, no alcohol, no processed foods, and no sugar.
The Results
The first few days were rough. My body was in detoxification mode, and I felt the daggers tearing at the insides of my body. When one is detoxing, this is normal. All of the toxins are coming to the surface.
After the first week, my energy levels increased drastically. At work, my co-workers would tell me my skin was glowing. First, my friends noticed my face had a glow to it. Next, they noticed other parts of my skin also had a natural glow. In addition, I shaved off 10 years from my age. My face and skin contained a youthfulness.
Except for the one day I cheated, I was able to maintain this new pattern. As a bonus, I lost 20 pounds. Even though I ate more frequently, and I ate foods high in healthy fats, I lost weight – without trying. I also did not monitor my portions, as for me, my goal was health as opposed to weight loss.
The Aftermath
I continued my new lifestyle through the rest of the year and into the following year. I cheated when I vacationed in Cabo and the Carolinas. Otherwise, I pretty much stuck to no gluten, no sugar, no processed foods, and no alcohol.
Of course, there were some days when I had one-off cheat days. When this happened, my body immediately reacted. One day, I visited one of my favorite sandwich shops. All their food, such as bread and cheeses, are fresh. I ordered the tomato, mozzarella, prosciutto sandwich. As I waited for one of my favorite dishes to appear, my mouth salivated.
Within an hour, my body ached with heaviness and sleepiness. Dark circles appeared under my eyes. Darkness on my face is not normal for me. I realized my body was having a negative reaction to something I had eaten. Bread, cheese, and prosciutto are foods I had eliminated. My mind raced with the realization of how certain foods are toxic to my body.
I vowed to maintain my healthy habits. And I did, until a new job equated to lots of dining out. I fell off the bandwagon for a bit, but then returned to a better space. The picture below is how I look now.
