January has come and gone (are you able to even consider it?!), so I believed I’d examine in and share with you ways the primary month of my decision for 2024 went. My New 12 months’s decision for 2024 was to go a complete 12 months with out consuming sugar, except six free days, which might be my birthday in June, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, plus three extra days of my selecting.
The extra I considered it (and after studying some your feedback), I spotted that these six free days might not be a good suggestion. I nonetheless haven’t dominated them out fully. I’m positively the kind of one that does significantly better if I fully abstain moderately than attempting the entire “every thing sparsely” factor, however I’m additionally the kind of one that struggles if I don’t give myself a tiny little bit of wiggle room. That doesn’t imply I’ll benefit from that wiggle room
Anyway, the excellent news is that I made it the entire month of January with no sugar, and I didn’t even battle a single bit! And y’all, each Wednesday evening once we host our church group, folks carry brownies, cookies, and so forth. And I wasn’t even tempted within the least.
I chalk that as much as the truth that I’ve actually been concentrating on consuming a excessive protein food plan. I’ve a pricey pal within the Houston space who may be very into health and vitamin. She’s been educating health courses for about 20 years (perhaps longer), and presently teaches courses just like the Les Mills Bodypump and Bodycombat courses. She’s been stressing to me how necessary it’s to get sufficient protein in my food plan, and after I figured how a lot I had been consuming, I used to be WAY below what I wanted. As in, I wasn’t even getting half of what I wanted. No marvel I used to be all the time craving junk!
She’s additionally been encouraging me to focus extra on weight lifting as an alternative of cardio. Not that cardio isn’t necessary, however she has inspired me to make the burden lifting a precedence. If I’ve an hour to train, I’ll begin with weights after which do cardio. But when I solely have 20 minutes, I prioritize weights. In order that has been enjoyable! I’ve gotten a lot use out of our dwelling fitness center on this previous month! I really like having this devoted area. It’s so handy. (For those who haven’t seen our dwelling fitness center, you’ll be able to click on right here to see extra photos.)
However again to food plan. As quickly as I made protein a precedence, all of these cravings for sweets went away fully. Along with the excessive protein and no sugar, I’ve mainly been attempting to keep up a typically low carb food plan. I’m not doing keto, particularly, in that I’m not counting macros (aside from protein), however after doing keto for therefore lengthy, I typically know what I can and may’t eat, or moderately, what I ought to and shouldn’t eat.
Once I shared my New 12 months’s decision, I had some folks ask if I used to be speaking about solely sugary desserts, or if I used to be speaking about something that turns to sugar within the physique (like pasta and different processed carbs), or any meals which will have “hidden sugar” in it. My New 12 months’s decision was particularly about eliminating sugary treats since these have all the time been my downfall. However once more, as one who has performed keto on and off for years, I’m fairly good staying away from the opposite issues as nicely.
My routine has been to eat strict low carb/excessive protein on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday — the times I typically keep dwelling and don’t have often scheduled plans. Matt eats a strict carnivore food plan, and his meals is delivered by Butcherbox each month, so I don’t even have to buy him. And after I store for myself, I persist with the outer partitions of the grocery retailer — contemporary produce, meat, and some dairy merchandise, like cheese, heavy whipping cream (for my espresso), and butter. That’s just about all I purchase for myself. I nearly by no means eat boxed or canned meals, so I’m not continually studying labels to see if there are any of these hidden sugars.
My two extra lenient days of the week are Sunday, after I exit out to eat with my household at a steak home that has yummy bread. I attempt to verify my meal is low carb, however I do enable myself to eat a number of the bread. After which on Wednesday, I’ve lunch with my mother and brother at numerous eating places. I attempt to decide on my meal properly, however I’m not religiously counting macros. And if we go to Rosa’s Cafe, I’m all the time going to get fajitas, and I’ll eat one or two of the tortillas, however I’ll swap out the rice and beans for further lettuce and tomatoes. After which we’ve a meal with our Wednesday night group, and I’ll eat that meal (no matter it’s) minus the desserts.
Desserts have all the time been my downfall. If I might dwell on a food plan of cookies, cake, ice cream, and sweet bars, I’d be as glad as a canine in a mud puddle. So these have been the issues that wanted to go. So what outcomes have I seen within the first month?
I’ve misplaced 11.7 kilos since January 1st. I’ve dropped a dimension in pants (which I attribute not solely to food plan, but additionally to all of these kettlebell swings I’ve been doing day-after-day!), and I really feel extra resolve than I’ve in a really very long time. Consuming all of that protein and specializing in weight lifting can be leading to a rise in energy, which has develop into very apparent to me after I do my kettlebell swings. Once I first began, I struggled to do just some swings with 20 kilos. However I saved on, and my energy and endurance elevated. In regards to the center of the month, I elevated my swings to 25 kilos, and that’s feeling too straightforward for me now. I believe I’m about prepared to extend to 30 kilos quickly. For those who don’t know what a kettlebell swing is, you’ll be able to find out about it right here.
So it’s been a enjoyable journey up to now! And I’ve been so inspired that I’m not regularly battling cravings for sugary treats. It’s wonderful to me that I went from continually eager about sugar and desserts, to now, not giving it any thought besides on Wednesday nights. And even then, my solely thought is amazement at how straightforward it’s to say no. That’s the magic of protein! I’m satisfied of it!
I’m excited to see how I do in one other month. I’ll examine in on the finish of February and let y’all know the way it’s going.
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I transform and beautify the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do nearly all of the work on the home on my own. You’ll be able to be taught extra about me right here.
