Ten observations as I finish month four.

June is coming to a close and I realize that my fourth month without sugar and flour has slipped by without my even noticing.  I’m not even sure what to write anymore in an attempt to keep your interest in this crazy experiment I started four months ago.  I’ve tried to explain the impact of the dietary change to other people, but I can’t express much of the transformation in words.  I’ve decided to capture ten observations from this past month to share with you.

1. You can survive on less than 2 tsp of sugar a day and still eat well.  In fact, many days I still have no additional sugar at all, but occaisionally I like to sneak in some barbeque sauce for my chicken or some ketchup for my fries.  For a sweet treat, I’ll have an apple with some chunky peanut butter and it feels the same to me as a bowl of ice cream did in the old days.
2. The fourth month was one that featured my mindshift about not eating sugar or flour.  My brain changed from “I can’t eat that” to “I choose not to eat that”.  The realization that I am no longer “giving something up” that I want to have has struck home.  Sugar and flour have simply become things that don’t interest me any longer like they used to.  Believe me, I’m just as surprised as you are.
3. I believe in myself more now that I have for years.  This four month journey has created a lot of self-reflection of who I am and what I can accomplish.  Trust me, once you start doing something you never believed was possible, you start to think about what else can be done.  My mind has become clearer than it has in a long time and my desire to attempt new things in the creative field has increased dramatically.  Many goals have moved from the “maybe” list to the “let’s get this stuff done” category.
4. My wife and I have a better relationship now than we did before we started the experiment.  It’s not like we had a rocky relationship to start with, honestly we’ve had a pretty good thing going for the twenty plus years we’ve been married, but things are better.  Maybe it’s the fact that she started the experiment with me even though I didn’t ask her to, or possibly because she makes amazing meals that fit in nicely with what we’re trying to accomplish.  It could be that these past four months are just the icing on the cake of personal growth for both of us since moving to Indianapolis a couple of years ago.  I think it also has a little to do with the fact that we’ve lost almost 100 lbs between the two of us in such a short time, which is amazing in itself.  Either way, it’s almost like we’ve hit the reset button on our relationship and I couldn’t be happier.
5. I can go clothes shopping and not feel the anxiety nagging me that if I buy a smaller size shirt or pants, it will be just temporary until I fall off the wagon and get fat again.  Now, I know there isn’t any guarantee that I’ll maintain my pattern of losing weight in the coming months, but really I’m not on a wagon to fall out of.  I’m eating great meals, snacking constantly, not spending any additional money on groceries, not doing any complicated meal plans, not taking expensive medications, or anything else unsustainable.  I’m simply doing things that anyone else could do without an effort or additional investment.  In fact, I can comfortably buy a pair of pants that’s a little too tight at the moment and know that next week they’ll fit perfect, then the week after that they will be a bit loose, then the week after that I’ll need to get a smaller size.  Let’s just say that Goodwill is my friend right now.
6. I tend to go to the grocery store more often to buy fruit.  We go through apples and bananas almost too quick now.  I’ve pretty much eliminated most of the unhealthy snacks I used to get for the kids and they haven’t complained.  Instead, I find them sneaking my apples and bananas so I have get more regularly.  I would have never guessed that I’d be giving my teenage son grief because he’s eaten all my apples.
7. On another fruit note, I don’t find myself giving my wife much grief for wanting to spend money on fruit.  In the old days I hated the idea of spending money on fresh fruits and vegetables, simply because I was used to buying ice cream and cookies for a fraction of the price.  Now I find myself budgeting for a fresh case of peaches, blueberries, or whatever else she wants.  I know I’ll get to eat something sweet in the deal.
8. I don’t’ have to force myself to go to the gym like I did ever other Summer of my life.  I used to stick to a strict policy of the gym being a place you visit when it’s cold and rainy, not when the weather is nice.  Unfortunately, when the weather was nice, I typically didn’t do anything but grill burgers and eat ice cream because it was too hot to work out.  I’m up for the gym anytime now.
9. I’m ready for the next challenge so I can tell you all about it.  As of this moment, my plan at the six month is to cut back even more to see what I’m capable of.  My goal is greatly reduce the amount of cheese in my eating by going four days without cheese each week.  It’s not like I’m eating blocks of cheese every day, but I likely consume more than you do on an average day.  I love cheese, but I know it isn’t the best thing when consumed regularly in higher quantities.  The funny thing is that no one has suggested I cut back and I don’t think I’m in any danger from the amount I consume.  I simply want to see if I can do it and want to give it a try.  It won’t hurt me to cut back a little, so the challenge has been created.
10. This will be the most amazing point that doesn’t make any sense to you.  Even with the weight lost, the confidence built up, the smaller pant sizes, and all the compliments I receive, I simply don’t feel good about my body still.  I just can’t see what everyone else does when I look in the mirror.  Maybe you’re just like me, a little messed up in the head when it comes to body image, but I can’t explain it.  I have tons of proof that I’m healthier and skinnier than I have been in years, but I’m still hung up on my body.  I’m not sure when that will change, but until that day, I keep focusing on the tangible evidence that shows my progress. 

So what did you think?  If you’re reading this, then you’ve likely read my other posts in the past.  Are you swayed just a little bit to see what your life would be like without sugar and flour?  I’m not a doctor or dietician, but I think the sugar, flour, and chemicals we consume each day keeps our bodies confused about what they should be.  This causes fat to gather in strange places or hunger to strike you for no reason.  Once I got that stuff out of my system, I could feel my body trying to get to its “natural” weight and state.  This feeling keeps me going with the eating and to the gym as I work with my body to get me the result I want. 
I want nothing more in this world than to have you feel the same thing, so hit me up and take the plunge.
All the best!
John Graham