So I followed (more or less) the Whole 30 plan throughout February. Here are some stats and observations about the month as a whole.
Weight: 14 lbs lost. Now, I wasn't actually trying to lose weight, and was actively ignoring some of the more obvious suggestions (going deliberately low-carb is the standard one.) Most of this is water loss - I look and feel much less puffy, and my pants are distinctly looser, but this all came off in the first two weeks or so and I've been holding steady since.
Sleep: I sleep pretty well in general, and since I'm not on a fixed schedule it hasn't been much of an issue. I have pretty naturally moved back to a normal sleep-at-night, wake-in-the-morning schedule, though, which I hadn't been since November.
Blood Pressure: from 120/80 to 107/69. This is just a curiosity, since I happened to be scheduled to go to the doctor this morning. I don't have blood pressure problems as such - 120/80 is unusually high for me, actually - but it was interesting for sure.
Meds: I went off the prednisone after about 10 days, and have had no symptoms of acid reflux all month so I am not continuing the Nexium now that the initial prescription is done.
RA Symptoms: gone. No noticeable morning stiffness most days, no swelling, little to no pain. I'm running/hiking regularly, attending karate 2-4 hours a week, and starting a weightlifting program this month since my hands now feel up to it.
Overall: I'm pretty much sold. I feel terrific, have lots of energy, and suffered no ill effects. My carb cravings are nonexistent, and I haven't been seriously tempted to cheat all month. I don't even miss cheese all that much.
So! Onward and upward. In March I'm going to add in a nice, sensible linear-progression weightlifting program and probably start to keep a closer eye on my carbs. I have plenty of weight to lose, and it would be nice to keep it coming off, although I'd expect to see about half of what I lost this month. I don't have any desire to try to add anything back in as of yet.
I know a lot of folks were interested in this whole thing - if you have questions or want to chat about it, I'm more than happy to do so. I've done a ton of reading/podcast listening on these topics this month, and I like talking about my current obsessions.
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5 comments:
so happy you're feeling great!
Very proud of you ! Keep going and we'll really celebrate on our BIG TRIP which WILL happen! Love, Mom
Jeremy,
We are beyond thrilled with your results - especially the improvement of your RA. Dallas' sister also has RA, and her symptoms also disappear when she's on the Whole30. It's extremely gratifying to hear of your similar results, and we're so happy to hear that you're doing and feeling much better after the program.
May we use a portion of this write-up as a testimonial for the program?
Thank you for sharing your experiences here, and congratulations on your success.
Best in health,
Melissa & Dallas
Whole9
Melissa - you are more than welcome to use this as a testimonial. In another month or so I suspect this will have spawned a whole crop of new ones, too - I have at least four friends trying it out this month, and a few more on the fence. (Mom!)
I have RA as well and also a Paleo lifestyle eater. I just started a Hypoallergenic Elimination Diet to see if any foods have direct correlation to my arthritis pain and swelling.
It's great to see someone else out there who is having luck with this diet and their RA. Just wanted you to know you have a new blog follower now!
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