So yesterday (day 18 of my Mat Lalonde-inspired approach for Lent) was weigh-in day. Weight loss: 7.8 pounds. Wow! Color me surprised, as my average weight loss for all of 2011 was less than 2 lbs a week.
Now, there are several variables that may explain this much higher than average loss, including:
- water weight loss, as I was slowly losing the glycogen I’d stored up in my two month post-holiday SAD eating (more about this in a future post)
- my greatly improved mobility (walked my first 1/4 mile in years on Friday and have been adding stairs frequently during the day)
- the added short HIIT session I’m doing (now 3x/week)
- no cheat meal on my Lalonde/Wahls meat+veggies diet
I suspect it’s probably all of the above. I’ll be interested to see what the next weigh-in brings. The rational part of me knows that low and slow is the way to go, but the emotional part of me is like burn baby burn!
Other things of note re MMLAFL:
- I’m pretty happy diet-wise … cravings for Diet Coke are gone, and I’m actually not even missing the substitute iced tea. I drink black tea with half a lemon in the early AM, then drink green tea with the other half just before lunch. The rest of the day it’s all water, all the time.
- The rosacea that returned from my SAD eating after the holidays is almost gone.
- I am starting to work on improving my sleep. After reading about CarbSane’s experience with selenium and insomnia I decided I’m going to try adding a couple of brazil nuts each day (ought to be interesting, as I don’t care for nuts … may just wind up grinding them onto my salad).
- I am finally going to be adding bone broth to my diet thanks to an idea from a Paul Jaminet post: I’m just going to pour the hot broth over my dinner-time salad. Couldn’t be easier!
All in all, I’m definitely motivated to continue. My plan is to actually extend this thru Lent til the 3rd week of April when I get my next blood-work. In addition to the basic panel, I’m having the doc re-draw my insulin … should be interesting!
Weight Maven is written by Beth Mazur. Beth believes that obesity is more symptom than cause and that the real problem is our Western diet -- especially sugar, refined grains, and industrial oils. Beth writes about nutrition, ancestral health & food policy. And cats!
Great to hear of your progress. Congrats.
Thanks!
Bone broth has been a staple of my diet since converting to the PHD. I never realized how good it tasted.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I made Balanced Bites’ bone broth a while back and it’s been sitting in the freezer since then. Hoping I didn’t over salt it (tip: if you’re adding salt to broth, add it AFTER it’s reduced).
The verdict is in … bone broth a WIN! My soup couldn’t have been easier. I nuked some kale, chopped broccoli, sweet potato cubes, onion til soft, and then poured a cup of the heated broth over top. Added salt (since I didn’t over salt it … phew), pepper and some dulse. It was kinda like a Rachael Ray stoup … too thin for stew, too thick for soup. I think it’s a keeper! (I would have taken a pic, but I ate it out of the my quart-sized Pyrex measuring cup ;).
I’m a lurker from way back. Well done! Your posts are inspiring and informative.
Thanks Alexie!