My Grainy Truth
(source)
I just finished 30 days of no-grains experiement last week. Surprisingly it wasn’t that hard although I wasn’t perfect. I never am. I ate popcorn a couple times and told myself it was a vegetable even though I know it’s not. In an emotionally weak weepy moment, I comforted myself with a slice of wheat bread. A heal nonetheless. Yeah very comforting. I also had a couple rolls at Wood Ranch and some pancakes camping. Camping is not camping without pancakes for breakfast. If I’m going to be legalistic there were some slivers of tortilla chips in salad.
I’ve talked about grains before and I want to make sure that it’s clear that I DON’T think they are evil. I do believe there are methods of preparation that make grains better such as soaking and sprouting (if you have the time) but overall I think grains are an okay source of energy in controlled quantities. That’s the catch. At least for me. It’s so easy to go overboard with grains. I had an on and off again struggle (and sometimes still do with) and with binging. I don’t binge on chicken or fish. I don’t binge on vegetables. I don’t typically binge on fruit (unless it’s dried). When I do binge on something 99% of the time it’s grains. When I talk about binging I mean eating more than I need after I am already full unless I have chosen to eat to more than normal. In the words, eating when my tummy says to stop but my mind and mouth won’t cooperate until I’ve finished that box of crackers. Yeah that feeling. This could be an extra cup of brown rice or large pizza.
Despite my imperfection, I felt like the month was a success. There wasn’t a huge change in my weight. I maintained between 120-121.5 without counting calories and exercising like a crazy woman. I worked out enough to maintain but didn’t do much if anything to improve. I felt FANTASTIC. I’m not sure if this was a result from the way I felt physically or emotionally. Physically I had LOTS of energy, slept well, light cramps one day of my period, and didn’t get any (seriously I don’t think one) afternoon slump. Emotionally/mentally I had some minor ups and downs but felt mostly positive, pms came and went without any holes in the walls to fix, and I felt in control regards to food. Woohoo!!! I had some sane (free) meals too. Oh yes I did. Had a some fries and ranch from Red Robin one night. Fish and chips twice. (Oooops I guess the batter would technically be grains.) Ordered french onion soup without the bread. In fact, I had family in town for over two weeks so I ate out A LOT more than normal but for the most part avoided grains. I even skipped the bread at Macaroni Grill. Not fun but I survived. (My husband and I once ate 4 loaves there and then asked for one to go. I’ve had some shameless moments, I tell you.)
Most people associate no grains with low carb I prefer to think of it as “lower than average” considering grains are the foundation of the standard American diet. But it certainly wasn’t a super low carb because I ate lots of fruit and vegetables. In fact, I ate way more vegetables and fruit than usual because when I was hungry I didn’t grab my typical grainy snacks of Ezekiel bread or oatmeal. Instead I had veggies with dip, fruit and cottage cheese or a couple of apples. Yeah, a couple of apples. The best part of the month was I didn’t beat myself up when I slipped. I got over it, reminded myself of my goals and moved on.
I think this past month was the closest I’ve ever been to experiencing moderation, in that, I allowed myself to slip up but I forgave myself when I did without throwing all my goals away, i.e., I still finished out my experiment. Forgiveness and commitment are the two things I continue to practice and I’m slowing getting better at both. Slowly but surely.
Hugs and High Fives,
jenn
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This is my (almost) sane quest for insane health. Let's 
I hear you on having a hard time excepting you can’t eat everything you want and not gain weight. I have been maintaining my weight loss for over 7 years now and still tweaking what works and what doesn’t. It’s a lot of self-discovery. Glad to hear the binges are under control. I too believe that when you severely restrict your diet (or food groups) binging is enviable. I try to eat pretty clean through the week,and allow for “treats” on the weekend.
Thanks for sharing your “no-grains” experiment Jenn! Very interesting … especially since I tend to binge on grains too – mainly cereal.
Good for you Jenn! Each time I read about your victories I want to give you a big hug. You look great and I’m so proud of you. I am always encouraged by how and what you share.
Love you!
Great post. I am so proud of you !
You are doing so great. I have to vouch for you and say that you have been more emotionally positive and that I can see a huge improvement in your self image. Way to go. You should be so proud of yourself!
Thanks guys!!!!