Day 21 - Hormones and Other Symptoms

People always associate hormonal imbalance with weight loss troubles, but I never thought that losing weight would cause my hormones to go out of whack. The past few weeks, I have been insane; one moment I want to go out and party then five minutes later I don't want to talk to anyone. I snap at those closest to me. I sometimes feel very strongly about things that really don't matter. Last Saturday, I wanted to rip out my waiter's eyeballs for messing up my dinner, and I might still be a little angry about that. My CHEK certified friend, Ashley, explained that because my bodyfat is dropping so quickly, my hormones are having a hard time adjusting. They will eventually, but in the meantime it will be a bumpy ride. Again it's not me your mad at, it's my crazy hormones. 

I am slowly becoming less social each week, mostly because I get sleepy around 10 pm. I wake up everyday between 4:30 am and 5:30 am, so it makes sense that I crash so early.

I have also developed super human tastebuds. I can smell when a fish is more than a day old or if it was frozen. I can taste the difference between organic free range meat and Costco meat. I am paying more now for my food than ever in my life and I feel good about finally treating my body the way it deserves. I crave eating out less and less. Going through the hassel of guessing which foods might be good for me, only to be disappointed by their quantity and quality is getting old. I have 3 more weeks of somewhat free eating and I want to enjoy it, but still see results.

Cuts of Meats I can eat:
Flank Steak
Round Eye
Filet Mignon

Today is weight in Monday, although I didn't drop the extra 2 lbs I wanted to, I feel great. I love my shoulders and I can see the muscles in my legs when I do lunges or step ups. I feel stronger and more confident. To see last weeks weight in, click on Day 14.

I am obsessed with the way I feel these days. I admit I still get small pangs of hunger. Also, I miss "real" food and not thinking about everything I put in my body. Now, I feel light and strong, I sleep better and workout harder, I feel like an energizer bunny. I hope after the contest, I don't forget this feeling and go back to my old ways.

I used to enjoy a coffee and either a bran muffin or toast for breakfast, especially when I was in a rush. I rarely ate salads; Although I had plenty of veggies, it's nothing compared to now. I ate some form chocolate everyday. I had desserts 5 to 7 times a week. Last night, my husband had a Swenson's sundae, after I reassured him I would be ok, and I didn't even miss it. I don't miss the 5 minutes of tastebud bliss, followed by hours of remorse, and finally months of carrying the dessert around my waist. Although I was never fat, as my friends will tell you, I do prefer a solid waist as opposed to flabby one.

I think a good compromise would be the 90/10 rule. If I have 28 meals a week (4 per day, 7 days a week), I could enjoy 2-3 things a week that didn't follow my perfect diet and eat well the rest of the time. That could either be 3 meals split over several days or 1 full on cheat day. Have any of you tried eating just one of the meals I've posted? They're not that bad and they do keep you full for a while. What if you ate 3 of my meals a week? You could have 1 perfect day a week and see the difference for yourself.

It takes some work. Sunday, I spent one full hour baking, measuring, and boxing up meals for the next 3 days. It may be a hassel at the time, but it makes my day when I can just grab a ready meal out of the fridge. Below is my rice, yams, and spaghetti squash. I also broiled ground turkey and chicken breasts, which I keep in separate containers until the day of.