I completed my second challenge 3rd March and the weight loss for the 30 period was 11lbs. This means a total weight loss of 26lbs in two months. I should be stoked, but I am not. I have never doubted my ability to lose weight, it is the lifestyle change that I need to feel confident about and I am not there yet.
The test of this lifestyle change is the infamous ‘Cheat Day’. The use of this ‘eat what you like’ day was a psychological tool to get me over any cravings or wobbly days and as a technique it works very well. However when I get to the day itself, I find it very hard to choose what I want to eat as guilt and fear kick in. On the morning of the much waited for day, my appetite for the usual suspects of bread, sweets and chocolate isn’t there. It didn’t stop me eating them and opting for a ‘gurt lush’ Chinese Meal in the evening. I continued to track my macro-nutrients and they came in as 3686 calories, (160% of my RDI and 346g of carbohydrate).
I didn’t enjoy any of it and that felt strangely sad, like I had lost a source of joy. And again, the hangover.
My experiment for the month was to see what a Cheat Day (CD) does to my body. My first experience was a ‘hangover’ – headache, bloated stomach, dry throat and ticklish ears and eyes. So this month I wanted to see how it translated into body weight. So for the first few days of this challenge, I weighed myself every day. (This is not something I am going to continue.. once a month is enough). So here are the results:
- CD+1 = +3lbs
- CD+2 = -1lbs
- CD+3 = +1lbs
- CD +4 = -1lbs
- CD +5 = -1lbs
- CD +6= Back to Weigh in weight
- CD +7 = -1lbs
So this tells me that one CD wipes out a weeks worth of effort eating cleanly. It also tells me that if it is important to have a CD, I know what the price is.
I am not sure what the biological reasons for the severe weight fluctuations, but I do know that whatever it is I react strongly and quickly. So the next challenge for me is to work out in my mind whether it is worth it. The most interesting thing is that clearly the 80:20 rule does not apply to me. Its 100% or be ready to lose the health effects of primal. Hmmmmm.
Primal Donna 