Days 12 – 20 and beyond

My final weight loss number during the 20 day period was 12 pounds. 12 pounds in 20 days is more than half a pound a day- AND- I actually exercised less during this time period than I was before. I would just like to point out to all the people who told me it was a plateau- it obviously wasn’t. All the people who told me that I couldn’t try to figure out the food intolerances by myself and that I was ‘just crazy’ well LOOK AT ME NOW. Figuring it out. By myself.  What never ceases to bewilder me is the number of people who think I am just plain nuts. Maybe I am nuts. But, I started the beginning of this year at 283 pounds and I am down 34 pounds already. Just this year alone- and 12 of it happened in the last month???? Just from paying close attention to how food interacts with my body? Unbelievable. In 2011, my weight soared to 330 pounds. I gained 50 pounds that year alone- I have the doctor’s records to prove it-  and now I am down 80 pounds. Call me crazy if you want. Numbers don’t lie. Keeping weight off for 2 years is one of the biggest achievements of my life. And while I’m tooting my own horn, I’d like to add that many people haven’t had their body fighting them THE ENTIRE TIME. My body fights me even now that I am through with the plan- amazing how something simple like potatoes or mozzarella (any dairy product really) just freaks my body out. So what did I learn during the final days of the plan?

 

Well first of all, I learned that I can’t make any type of vegetable soup. Something I’m really going to have to work out. My talent for making soups seems to be limited. I learned that overall any type of meat isn’t a big deal for me. I need to retest steak and see just how much the reaction was on that- but everything else I’ve tested pork, ground meat, chicken- don’t seem to bother me. Potatoes were a big one. Even potato chips as well caused so much inflammation I had to add an extra rest day at one point into the plan just so my body could calm down. Crazy. I tried mozzarella recently and it seems that my body will not tolerate dairy anymore. Again, it took several days for the weight to come down again. Almond milk is fine (as suspected). I can eat tomatoes (yeah!) which I have added to my vegetable mix of stuff since the vegetables seem to be my most difficult area. Kale, spinach, sweet potatoes, broccoli, potatoes are all out. Most of those (except for the potatoes) actually block my thyroid function as well, making it a double whammy.

 

I’ll summarize days 12-20 and what I learned. There are some interesting tidbits that I discovered. Day 12 was when I tested potatoes (and I blew up). Day 13 was a rest day, although now adding a new recipe of a chia seed smoothie for breakfast instead- which is just up my alley! Chia seeds, avocado, blueberries, coconut milk, and cinnamon create a breakfast smoothie which is great since breakfast is a big challenge for me. Day 14 I tested an egg. I was fine and had no reaction- but, I did not eat another animal protein that day. Egg and another animal protein together in one day is a separate test (which I haven’t gotten around to yet) because eggs can be hard for your body to break down, and if you add more animal protein on top, it can be difficult (for some people, not all). Eggs on their own checked out. I found out that most people can’t eat eggs every single day (it is best every other day) and that hard boiled eggs are again, harder to break down because they are more dense. (who knew?) At one point I was eating eggs every single day a few months back, and also another point I was eating hardboiled eggs. A lot. Yeesh. My habits of eating the same thing over and over really backfired! Day 15 was no test, although it had a recipe for chicken with Indian spice rub which is not something I would normally eat, but that I did enjoy.  Day 16, two animal proteins were tested in one day. I ate chicken for lunch and dinner this day with no problems. Later, after the 20 day period was over, I would eat pork and chicken in the same day with no issues either. Day 17 was no test. Vegetable Timbale is a good recipe that I also enjoyed that included vegetables in layers (something like lasagna) with cheese in between and olive oil. It was a great recipe! Day 18 was supposed to test a new restaurant. Since one of my favorite restaurants closed, I decided to go ahead and test bacon instead. Bacon tested fine. Day 19 was no test, and Day 20 was when I finally tested tomatoes with success!

 

Since the plan has been over, I indulged some at a cookout eating dip and hotdogs (I paid for that for 3 days)! Also, potato chips were tested and I had a bad reaction (another 3 days for the inflammation to come down, yeesh!) Nachos were also a no go. The mozzarella I test twice and is supposed to be the least inflammatory of cow’s milk made cheese, but did not agree with me. Ground meat I did recently, making homemade hamburgers, and that went great. Today I drank white wine, which I haven’t had until now- white wine is supposed to be more acidic and can cause reactions in some people. I have been trying to eat similar balanced meals to those laid out in the plan, while having more choice on what to eat (and less soup!). At the same time, you are encouraged to keep testing foods until you build up 40-50 friendly foods. Anything that I enjoy to eat should be tested- whether it is an alcoholic drink, dessert, or condiment such as mustard, it should all be tested. Simple things like mustard and ketchup cause reactions in a high number of people and should be tested carefully with small amounts first. I need to test more vegetables- peppers are on my list coming up soon, as well is tomato sauce, and fish. They provide a recommended number of protein intakes for each meal, and provide counts for how much protein is in everything from 4 oz of chicken to a few tablespoons of pumpkin seeds.

 

The most important lesson I learned is that variety is the key to everything. My tendency of eating the same foods over and over was holding me back. I need to find more vegetables to eat. Particularly ones that don’t block my thyroid- did you know radishes and strawberries are goitrogenic? Seriously. Seriously. How am I supposed to keep up with the stupid large list of foods that can mess with your thyroid? That was the second important thing I learned- goitrogenic foods have properties that may block thyroid function- everyone is different. For me, I learned my thyroid is very sensitive. I learned that I am not that sensitive to animal protein which is a good thing. I learned that I am sensitive to any dairy made with cow’s milk and sodium. Sodium seems to be a big thing for me- it really makes me hang onto the water weight and can affect blood pressure. While I didn’t think I had that much sodium before during The Plan, after going through the 20 day process, I have realized that I need to watch the amount of sodium I intake and use sea salt instead. I would like to say that during the entire time I have been undertaking this journey, and eating my crazy soups and salads at work, everyone there was very supportive. Some of my co workers have given me clothes even and always have something positive to say. (My mom is actually one of my co workers, and is my biggest supporter, so thanks Mom!) Co workers that have moved on to other places, continue to be supportive and stay in touch. If they think I am crazy, they certainly don’t show it. So, just to end on a positive note, I would like to thank everyone past and present at Half Price Books. They see me on my worst days, and yet, they still speak to me. Thanks guys, you’re a special breed of people that can’t be found just anywhere. And I appreciate it.