Life has been pretty calm and uneventful the last few days, so I just haven’t had much to write about. I mentioned in previous posts that I just finished my first Diet Bet, and guess what… I was a winner! 🙂 That was pretty exciting. I was super nervous for the weigh in because I knew it was going to be pretty close, but I was actually 1 lb under my goal! The buy in was $30, and I won $51 and some change, so I made a profit of $21. I think I’m going to spend that on some new clothes for myself. 😉
I had an excellent Thanksgiving, and I hope you did as well! My family and my bf met for the first time, and things went really well, so that was really exciting. We found out that my mom’s cancer is in remission, so that was definitely something to be thankful for! I also stuck to my plan as far as the feasting. I stayed Whole30 compliant and only ate until I was satisfied. It was great not walking around feeling uncomfortably full all day. I loaded up with my healthy veggie sides and had a little bit of ham and turkey. I completely forgot to take a picture of it, but it was delicious and filling. I really didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. The stuffing and rolls were calling my name, but I knew it wasn’t going to be worth breaking my streak to have them. There will always be Stovetop and heat and serve rolls.
My second Whole30 has been going along swimmingly. I did cave a little bit this past weekend and had a small handful of glazed nuts. I was super hungry and didn’t really have much else to eat, so I made the conscious decision to have some, and I don’t feel guilty about it. It was just food, and I did really think about it before I had some. The only unhealthy ingredient was sugar, and as I’ve said in previous posts that I haven’t been super strict with myself on the sugar this go around because I don’t feel like I’m going to go on a sugar binge anymore by just having a little taste. I feel much more in control.
An article was just posted by Whole30 on Facebook about how one of the biggest things people gain from Whole30 is food freedom. This is definitely true for me. For years I struggled with the pattern of cutting out “bad foods” completely from my diet and trying to “be good” by not eating them. Inevitably a craving I just couldn’t resist would pop up, and I’d cave. I’d then feel really guilty about it and say, “Well, I’ve already blown it. I might as well just keep eating junk!”
I’m now working with the mindset that food in itself is neither bad nor good. All foods are just food. It’s certainly true that some foods are less healthy than others and can have negative consequences on the body, but with the right mindset, even these foods can be ok every now and then. I feel the freedom to think about a certain food that may not be the healthiest and consider whether eating that food is worth it or not. Sometimes it is (gooey chocolate caramel cake!), and sometimes it isn’t (cheap chocolate), but it is my decision to make. If I really think about my decision and come to the conclusion that something is worth it, then I don’t beat myself up about it anymore. I don’t feel like a failure. In fact, I feel that much more empowered because I really thought it through before just mindlessly popping something in my mouth.
I haven’t really had anything super exciting to eat lately because it’s been turkey leftovers for almost 3 meals a day. It’s great because I don’t have to buy food, but it’s really not anything worth noting. I did find these delicious Whole30 compliant sausages at Target this weekend, though! They are Aidells brand, and they were super yummy! Nothing but chicken, apples, spices, and fruit juices for flavor. I will definitely be buying them again!
If you’ve read my about me section, then you know I have the BRCA2 genetic mutation that puts me at high risk for breast cancer. Well I got the ball rolling last month as far as my preventive screenings, and the whole thing has really just been kind of a nightmare. After speaking with the genetic counselor, I felt very good about the direction I needed to go, and I was pretty at ease with everything. Then once I started actually making the appointments, it became clear that even those in the medical field aren’t that well versed on what it actually is and how to handle it. I have been having to explain to every doctor I see exactly what it is and tell them what the course of action is.
It’s really frustrating to have to re-explain everything all the time, and it’s even more frustrating when different people are telling me different things. Long story short, I had my MRI today, but not before there was a lot of confusion about whether I had to have a mammogram first or not. I actually had to come in an hour earlier for my appointment to get squeezed in for the mammogram and ended up not needing it. I was very thankful for the nurse in the breast center who really seemed to know what she was doing because it saved me quite a bit of headache.
As for the MRI itself, it was really no big deal. It took about half an hour, and I was out of there. The MRI techs were really nice and helpful and made something that was not really all that pleasant an OK experience. They explained everything they were doing and just made me feel very comfortable. I started my day off feeling annoyed and frustrated with the whole thing, and now I’m back to a place of feeling OK with everything again. I won’t get the results from my MRI for a couple days, but I’m really not worried about it. I’ve been diligent with my self exams, and I haven’t felt anything abnormal, so I’m guessing I’ll be free and clear. 🙂
Have a happy Tuesday!
Simply Whole Life 