The Restart Program: Week 1
I’ve always struggled with my weight. I’ve never been one of those lucky girls who could eat a plate of nachos, a piece of cake, chase it with 5 margaritas and not gain weight. Relatedly, I’ve always had to work out. And…I LOVE food.
Allow Kate Hudson to depict my feelings toward food:
I’ve also always struggled with stomach issues. I won’t get into the glorious details, but let’s just say I’ve spent many a day in intense pain, wearing a baggy shirt to hide my stomach that looked like it was carrying a third trimester infant. Gross. Gastroenterologists ran multiple tests, all with no real diagnosis.
After moving to Raleigh almost two years ago and slowly gaining upwards of 15 pounds since grad school, I became fed up. I tried Weight Watchers. I tried the 21 Day Fix. I’ve tried healthy-er (yes, that spelling is intentional) eating. And those programs work great for some people, but I saw very little success.
Last month I found out about the Restart program through my gym. Somewhat reluctantly, I decided to give it a try. And even though I’ve only been doing it a week, I feel like a different person already. Here are the details and what I’ve experienced so far:
What is it?
A three-week sugar detox that focuses on eating unprocessed, all-natural foods…what our bodies were made to eat. Its goal is to train you to un-crave sugary, unnatural foods that aren’t healthy for you, and for your taste buds to change for good. Potential weight loss is one benefit, but overall the goal is to change your eating habits and fuel your body with what it really needs.
What have you been eating?
Real BUTTER, real BACON (yes, you read that right), grilled chicken, sausage, cauliflower “mashed potatoes”, fish, eggplant, almond butter, bananas, apples, 100% cacao, nuts, and more.
What have you experienced in week 1?
The first three days the only thing I experienced was a visceral feeling of separation anxiety for chocolate. I grew up eating a piece of candy, ice cream, or some sort of dessert after dinner. Not having that sweet relief (pun intended) after dinner literally made me pace and feel anxious.
Throughout the rest of the week I had low energy, a few mild headaches, and even a little dizziness, which is a natural side effect of your body getting rid of toxins and that bad, processed crap we’re so used to eating.
Day 5 was the worse. And unfortunately day 5 was the day I had to run an 8k I signed up for months ago. It was the worst race I’ve ever done. From someone who has run 5 half marathons and usually runs 3 miles for an average after-work run, you would think it would be painless. False. I had to walk within the first mile and spent the rest of the race out of breath, in pain, and literally crying to my best friend at the end (partially because I was so tired, but mainly because I was so frustrated with my time). I spent the rest of the day tired, with a headache, and upset with myself.
Today, day 7, was a little different. I woke up feeling really good physically and decided to weigh myself. Down 2 pounds since last week. Combined with 5 pounds I lost on my own since January, I’m down 7 pounds. I looked in the mirror — clearer skin. Tonight in spin class — ridiculous energy.
And the one thing I didn’t have all week? No bloating. No stomach pain.
This is only week 1. I’ve got two more. But I came into this pretty skeptical and now I’m feeling kind of hopeful.
Follow along for the next two weeks to see how my journey with the Restart program turns out!
