Could this be the consistency I am looking for?

I am down 3.2 pounds on the scale today! Woohoo! That makes two weeks of good losses. Let's work on getting three weeks!

Tomorrow I face the scale....

But before I do, let me discuss some of the positive things with life in general.

First, I am no longer a chronic snooze button pusher. I actually wake up well before the alarm clock setting. I am wide awake and ready to face the day. I haven't had to pull myself out of bed in weeks. This makes me very happy and my husband probably happier. I can't tell you how often he would ask me why I set the alarm if all I was going to do is hit the snooze button.

Second, I am definitely stronger. I love lifting heavy things. Did three sets of dead lifts with 100 pounds today, up from my normal of 80. Love love this.

Third, I feel healthier. All around me, people are coming down with colds and the flu. Not me as of yet. I know it may be coming but I actually feel good that I am eating more nutritionally dense foods.

Fourth, I am cooking and experimenting in the kitchen...and am having fun. It is quite therapeutic. I remember cooking the whole day when the Packers lost to the Giants in the playoffs. It helped to keep my mind off the horrible end to a grand season.

Fifth, Tim is eating better as well. He's not interested in the Paleo lifestyle but at least he is getting more veggies in his diet. That certainly can't hurt.

Sixth, I am recognizing the stress in my life and looking for ways to deal with it.

Seventh, I am finding groups (both real life and virtual) of positive supportive people. It is good.

Yep, there are a lot of changes to be happy about.

No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change. - Barbara de Angelis

Sometime stress just rears its ugly head....

Too much stress is not a good thing. I don't care who you are if you have too much stress in your life, you need to do something about it. I have worked at managing stress in my life over the last few years and I am definitely in a better place about it. I still need to find more ways to manage it even better because sometimes it does become a focal in my daily life.

For me, there are several outlets for stress that I need to remember:

1. Swimming -- There is something about gliding through the water that allows my brain to break free and relax.

2. Bubble bath -- Is there anything that a nice bubble bath cannot dissolve away?

3. Sweating -- When I am particularly stressed, I love to just go and sweat at the gym. Because I have changed my workouts, I haven't really had any of those two hour sessions when I would just go from cardio machine to cardio machine of late. Maybe I need to fit one in just to release the stress.

4. Sleeping -- Sometimes it is true that things will be better tomorrow, so going to bed and sleeping helps a lot.

5. Walking away -- It may not seem right but sometimes I just need to walk away from issues and think about things. I am a bit of an introvert and need to mull things over quite a bit.

The list of things I no longer want to use as stress relief:

1. Eating -- So, there the cycle begins. I get stressed. I eat. I get more stressed because I ate. Not a good thing.

2. Yelling/screaming -- Sometimes I am guilty of this, especially when I feel like I am not being heard in a particular stressful situation. I am working on it.

3. Holding it in -- Ok. I do not want to bottle up the stress. It needs a release but the appropriate release.

For the most part, my life is good but there are times that stress level gets higher than I would like. My goal is to use the first list for managing it more often than I use the second list and, if I do say so myself, I am doing better than I did in the past.

One thing that I finding is not working is my food page. I just do not have time to update it everyday. So, I am not going to stress about it. So, it may be removed soon.

Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering. ~Pooh's Little Instruction Book, inspired by A.A. Milne

Scale Time

I know it is not all about the number on the scale. I know that. I know that. I know that. Just trying to repeat it so it will stick in my head.

I have done well this past week with figuring out what foods to eat and what foods to eliminate from my meal planning. I have tried a few new foods and have done a lot of food prep so as not to rely on convenience foods. I did go out to eat a couple of times but feel I made smart choices.

I have a lot of energy. I wake up without my alarm clock. I am sleeping well. I am walking the dogs just to walk the dogs. I am doing lots of kettlebell classes. I feel strong.

SO, why am I disappointed with a 2.6 pound loss? I know I need to stop fixating on that damned scale but it is much easier said than done for me.

I am going to work on being consistent in my weight loss. Honestly, if I could have another 2 to 3 pound loss next week, I think I will be happy. I would be nice to start stringing together some weeks of losses.

"Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain."

Sisu!

Sisu -- a Finnish term regarding strength, will, determination, more than courage, making the decision to stick with it even after failures. Something I want to display this year and the rest of my life.

I grew up in an area of Wisconsin that was intensively proud of their Finnish heritage. You know the Finns, the ones that persevered through the Winter War, vastly outnumber by the Russians, the stoic Nordic people from the land of Santa Claus, the sauna taking, ice fishing, polka dancing people. My father is Finnish, my mother is not. I know I have always identified myself as a Finn, even though it is only half of my ancestry.

Back to sisu...a friend that lives in the UP of Michigan recently reminded me of this word and I have decided to adopt it as my one word mantra for my life. I want to have that strength, that inner determination, that ability to stay the course even after failing to succeed the first, second, third or however many times.

I just made a pendant for myself (and will probably remake it at some point in the future) that says "sisu strong". I plan on wearing this as a reminder that I have sisu inside of me. I can be strong, determined, stay the course.

Sisu Strong!

Kettlebell class

Have I told you yet how great kettlebell class is? If not, you must have missed it. I think I could go on and on about how great this workout is. It's a short class but intense and I do SWEAT (and use a lot of hand chalk). I feel strong during this workout. It is more cardio than you expect going into it. I have calluses and I don't care. Did I mention I sweat?

In the spirit of full disclosure, there are sessions that do not go so well. For whatever reason, I am frustrated (new movements, lack of expected strength, just plain tuckered out) but I am learning to listen to my body and am trying to know when I can expect to be pushed through this mental state of frustration and when I should just back off. All in all, I still think these are the best workouts I have tried and am (as Tim puts it) obsessed with it.

A sidenote -- The other day Tim and I were channel surfing and I came upon an informercial for KettleWorx. I watched a few minutes of it. Let me tell you, the kettlebell classes I attend are NOTHING like that. I turned to Tim and said "uh-huh, that's not kettlebell."

The classes I attend in Denver are all about strong movements and intensity, strong hip snaps, swings, strong presses and deadlifts, and other movements. It is not about doing dumbbell movements but with a kettlebell. NOW KettleWorx may be a great workout, but I just know from what I saw on the informercial, our workout in class is so much different. (http://www.powerhourkb.com/)

So, last night was class night and Heather decided it was time to start recording some personal records (PRs in hipster language). So, we did some work last night on lifting heavy. If you have read my goals blog, you know that I want to be able to press 45 pounds, 5 times cleanly by the end of the year. Well, I am closer than I thought. Last night I pressed 44 pounds, 3 and 1/2 times with each arm....twice. YEA ME! I also deadlifted 140 pounds, 5 times twice and used 40 pounds to goblet squat. I don't remember right now what my PR in swings was but I know Heather wrote it down so I will get it and update this blog when I have it. (Updated -- 146 swings with a 35 pound kettle bell is my PR at this moment)

I am glad we did this last night and now I have it documented so I can see where I get to in the future. Measuring progress in more ways than than the scale is essential to my journey.

i"Goals.There's not telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There's no telling what you can do when you believe in them. There's no telling what will happen when you act upon them." - Jim Rohn

Where do I go from here?

First, let me say that I think each of us needs to find out what works for us and our body. I have been at this for some time now and I still have not uncovered what food choices are right for my body. I have tried a variety of options, some that work wonderfully for others. I am glad that these diets and lifestyles work for others but I have not figured out how to make them work for me.

Along my journey, I have become aware that grains (even whole grains) are not aiding in my quest to be healthy and fit. In fact, having had eliminated them during the detox, I still felt quite a bit of energy. So, I am not keen on making them a big part of my food during the day at this point. In other words, I am giving up on the food pyramid idea. I have done a lot of research and really do not see anything nutritionally about grains that I cannot get from other sources. With that and the fact that the majority of processed foods I have eaten are in the grain family, I am keeping them out of my lifestyle.

So, what does this mean? Well, again my research has led me to the primal lifestyle (www.marksdailyapple.com). Yes, I know it sounds like another fad diet (the caveman diet, paleo, etc.). But I did not land here searching for something as much as I did by knowing there was something that was impeding my progress and wanting to find something that support that. It is also something that I can do without spending a lot of money on it. I don't have to buy supplements, a diet plan, or even the book. I can just about find all the information I need on the internet and via conversations with others that I know are on this journey.

Now, he is a proponent of eliminating legumes. I am still thinking on this one. I understand the reasons and am going to keep them off my plate most of the time, but I do think that this may be one item that will fall into that 20% area from time to time (more on that later).

Then there is dairy. Well, the idea is that you are only supposed to consume high fat dairy. Of course, this should only be in moderation. Personally, I am not sure about this. I am still researching this one, so for now, dairy is out. Eventually, I may consider some cheese and such but as far as a go to item for meal planning, it will not be dairy.

Regarding the 20% area, I mention above. The idea is you are to strive to be 100% compliant but settle for 80%. So, you are not totally "off plan" if you stray a bit. So, if Tim wants to make his curried lentils one evening, well, I may choose to indulge. If the only "healthy" choice of foods at a party is hummus, I may dip my carrot into it. BUT I may choose not to as well. I am going to strive for 100% primal.

As of today, I have added a lot of protein sources back into my meal planning. So, basically other than a pita and hummus at a Lebanese restaurant on Saturday, I have avoided grain products, legumes, and dairy for a few days. I am energetic, even awaking without my alarm clock!

I have added a food page to this blog. I will be posting what I eat and such to keep myself on track to being 100% compliant and note when something falls into the 80%. I am doing this to be able to review what I am eating and to keep myself publicly accountable. Feel free to peruse it to get an idea. I hope to also add a recipe page at some point to share some of the great recipes I am using.

So, I leave with this:

"Don’t give up. There are too many nay-sayers out there who will try to discourage you. Don’t listen to them. The only one who can make you give up is yourself." -Sidney Sheldon

Thoughts on the detox

So, I did a 10 day detox. Actually, I am still in the midst of it as I am slowly adding things back into my diet. What did I accomplish from this time?

Well, mostly I was looking at it as a reset button. A time to get bad things out of my body and think about what I thought was a healthy lifestyle for me. I do think I accomplished that. I must admit, however, that thinking about the fact I was detoxing in January led to a bit of overdoing it in December so there was more "junk" for me to withdraw from than I would have liked.

I felt energized. I didn't need my cup of coffee in the morning (well, after a few days that is). My body did not feel sluggish in the morning. My body was not exhausted at night. I think I slept better and deeper. After the first couple of days, my mind felt clearer too. There were days, however, that I did not feel very strong when I was working out BUT I still had the energy to get through the workout, just with lighter weights.

I am realizing that lifestyles and diets are very personal. There are a plethora of options out there but you have to do some work to find out what works for YOU. For me, I am learning to consider more what I choose to eat in my day to day life. I know this may not be the case for everyone but the typical healthy lifestyle of whole grains and such just didn't seem to be working for me. I need to consider what I think will best support my activity level, my genetics, and my goals.

The thing about the detox was that it was easy to live with. I could eat what was on the list and I couldn't eat what wasn't on list. Even in the days that it was just certain veggies, apples, and pears, I knew that if it wasn't one of those items, I didn't eat it. My mind could think about other things and not what I should eat. For me, there wasn't much mental stress involved. The booklet had a lot of recipes but I only used a few. I actually am good with just eating steamed broccoli, sauteed spinach, etc.

I didn't eat out at all during this time. 10 days without going out to lunch or dinner. This showed me that I can actually pack my lunches. I can actually make dinner (although Tim did do a some of the cooking and prep for me). I know seeing dinners out as special occasions and not as "I don't know what to make for dinner" occasions is smart and DOABLE.

I noticed way too much advertising for food during this time. Advertising about things that I wouldn't even choose to eat if I weren't detoxing. Man, when did food become so complicated? There is way too much over stimulation when it comes to food choices! I wish we could go back to the time where you grew, hunted, raised what you ate and what you couldn't do yourself, you traded and bartered for. Well, maybe I don't wish we could go back to those days completely but I do wish we could raise some of our own food. Some day. When we are not such suburbanites.

A friend asked if I lost weight on the detox. She knew that wasn't the reason I was doing it (and it wasn't) but was curious. The honest truth is that I know I lost weight but I have no idea how much. You see, I didn't weigh myself to start the detox. I didn't want the lack of scale movement to derail me from the 10 days. I only weighed at the middle point and the end. I lost a few pounds. I know these are pounds that I gained during the months of November and December but they are gone now.

So, there are my thoughts on the detox. I will be posting soon about where I am going from here. Remember it is important to have goals but you also have to set up the steps to accomplish those goals!

Friday Epiphany

Sometimes walking the dog is just walking the dog. And this is not a euphemism for anything.

It is just something I have been thinking about a lot lately. For the past year or so, I have made the morning dog walks into training sessions for me as well. I worked through the couch to 5K program with them. I would get up every morning, dress, put on the Garmin and be out the door. I pushed to get in an appropriate distance before heading home to shower and be off to work. Morning after morning I would do this routine. Now there were times that we did not go out, weather issues, oversleeping. whatever the reason but there wasn't a time that we didn't go out for a walk without looking as a time to push myself, walking or jogging. Lately, I finally decided enough was enough and I start to just walk the dogs just to walk the dogs.

In May of 2011, I went to a spa and it was the first time I ever heard that you could actually do more harm by not giving yourself time to rest. At the time, I was working out for an hour in the morning and an hour plus in the evening, almost every day. I wasn't losing weight but I was working out. I was releasing mental stress but probably stressing my body a bit more than I should have.

Last week my trainer chastised me for not resting enough and she talked to me about it again this week. I realized that a symptom of my "not wanting to rest" was that I couldn't just walk the dogs to walk them. I had to make it into a workout for me as well. I started to resent this time. I couldn't just relax about it. BUT no more. Now, I will just walk the dogs. When I do the Couch to 5K program again (yeah, I am still going to do it again but I am going to wait for more light in the morning), I will take them but on off days, we will just walk, long or short. BECAUSE sometimes walking the dog is just walking the dog.

Now what?

So, I technically finished the 10 days of the detox. As much as I may have whined about some things, it really was not as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I guess it helps that I already ate a lot of vegetables. Of course, during the detox, I ate a LOT of vegetables. There were somethings that were hard to give up -- coffee for instance. But I did it.

It also gave me a lot of time to think about my lifestyle and things that influence the choices that I make. Again, I will be posting this weekend what I think I accomplished through this detox and such. One thing I know that I will be focusing on for the next few weeks is NOT letting processed foods or any non-whole foods make their way back into my menus. If it means I am making my lunch at 7:00 a.m. (as I was this morning) because I do not have leftovers from the night before, so be it. I can do it.

Yesterday I added chicken back into my diet.....and it was good. That's about all I can say about it. It was good. Today I am going to have one cup of coffee, black and strong and see if I say the same thing about it.

"A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike." -- John Steinbeck

Day 10 of 10...yep, that's right...

Today is the "last day" of the detox. Actually, I am not sure why it is considered the "last day" as really there is no eating plan for today. Today is the day that I start adding back in as I choose to add in. So, in actuality, day 10 is no different from day 11, except that I will be adding in one more good group on day 11.

Nonetheless, this is the last day of it. As I said yesterday, today I will be adding in chicken. Tim cooked some up last night for me to take to lunch with me. I am looking forward to having something other than vegetables for lunch.

In the next few days, I will blog about what I accomplished by doing this detox. It will probably be over the weekend when I have a bit of time.

So, my quote for the day is: "If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results."

Days 8 and 9....

Oops....I didn't blog yesterday. BUT I did stick to the detox. Yesterday was a good day but I was quite exhausted when I got home from kettlebell class. One thing to note -- I was able to one-arm press the 45 pound kettlebelll with my left arm...once. It is one of my goals to be able to do this by the end of the year so it is progress. I couldn't do it with my right arm at all but that's okay. I will get there. In the meantime, I will celebrate the fact I was able to press it with my left arm. YEA!

As far as the detox goes, today I can add back in seeds, nuts and legumes. Then tomorrow I start adding back in as I want to. So, today I will be basically done with the plan as written...woohoo! Then I will add back in foods that I will want to have in my diet (diet as a lifestyle, not diet as a temporary thing). Wednesday, I know I am going to start with chicken. Then Thursday I am going to add back a cup of coffee (I am definitely adding back in coffee, but am going to cut back as much as I can). Then Friday, I am thinking some other form of protein, like fish.

There are things I plan on NOT adding back in, such as artificial sweeteners. Based on everything I have been reading of late, they certainly do not seem to add anything to the weight loss journey. The hardest thing will be not having a sweetener in my coffee, but it will be okay. I can do it. I am still trying to figure out what other major changes I will be making in my lifestyle to help with the ultimate goal of good health and fitness. As I figure things out, I will of course blog about it.

A quote by Abraham Lincoln to start the day: "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other."

Day 7 of 10....the final day of the severe restrictions...

Today is the final day of the most severe restrictions and I am happy to say I am making it through it. Tomorrow, I get to add back in all other vegetables and all fruits as well as some rice. I am looking forward to make some sort of fried rice type dish. Right now, I just feel like I have just eaten salad for a few days (although I have eaten a lot of broccoli and brussels sprouts) and not a real meal, does that make sense?

Weekends are always hard but this weekend I am determined to change that. It hasn't been easy since it is a big football weekend but it is okay so far. I have been going to bed earlier, which is probably a good thing to as I have been reading so much about how sleep is so important in a healthy lifestyle.

I do have to make decisions on how and what I am going to add back to my menu planning. I am going to take it slow. After tomorrow, day nine indicates I should add some other grains as well as nuts, seeds and legumes back. After that, I am sort of on my own as to what I add in. I do want to monitor things to see if I feel any impact of eating whatever I add back in to my meals. I am pretty sure I will be adding chicken in the first day that I can but after that, I guess I will just see how it goes.

My closing quote for today: "Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination." Fitzhugh Dodson

Day 6 of 10

Well, here we are on day 6 of 10. It is another day of only certain vegetables, pears and apples. Yesterday went pretty well. The lack of options really did not bother me too much. It helps that I like broccoli and lettuce.

I went to kettlebell class last night. Things have changed a bit there. They changed from two levels of classes to multiple levels. Because I have been going for awhile, I am able to go to the second level, which is what last night was. It was difficult because he was teaching new movements with the kettlebell. While swings and presses have been pretty easy to learn, these new things seem to take more brain power and kind of stress me out as I don't like not being able to do something. Combine that with the fact that I was a little cranky from work and probably a little from the detox program, well, things just didn't feel right. I even considered only going to beginning classes (which I know can still be a great work out). Then I realized that maybe it is not such a bad thing to try to do this and relax a bit about it. So, we will see. I will keep working at it.

Today is football day. I have plenty of vegetables stocked so watching the game should not be too bad. I have already gone to the gym to stair climb, ride the elliptical, and swim. The gym was crowded...crazy crowded but I was able to do everything I wanted to do.

I end with this quote on my herbal tea bag this week. I am going to keep this as my 2012 motivational statement.

"Happiness comes when you overcome the most impossible challenge."

Halfway point after today....

So, today is day 5 of 10. Today I eliminate everything except for cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts), leafy raw greens (lettuces, spinach), apples and pears. This is the state I will be in for the next three days. Then I will slowly add things back into my eating plans.

As far as how things are going, comparing yesterday to the prior three days, well, it's like night and day. Yesterday I finally felt like my energy level was up. I was getting through the prior days but they were such long and drawn out days and my workouts just were not at the level I am used to them being. But yesterday that all changed at some point. Suddenly, I was filled with energy and felt good. This morning I feel great as well. I did take a break from working out last night. I actually was toying with the idea of going swimming but got caught up with things at work and needed to run a few errands. So, I just came home and spent the evening with Tim.

Tonight I will go to kettlebell class and tomorrow I hope to do some stair climbing. So, I will get back into the swing of things again.

One thing that I have been thinking about is where I am going from here. I have been reading a lot about various lifestyles and what people choose to eat. I have been on the whole grain bandwagon for some time but it just isn't working, which is why I am now looking at the paleo/primal lifestyle. I have found an interesting couple who have done a lot of work on a website, whole9.com. Yes, it is their business and they make money at it but there is a LOT of information on their site that you can read without making a financial commitment to anything. Honestly, I haven't paid anything for any of the information yet but I learned a lot and have been encouraged in a few ways.

First, I realized at one point that I was not fully committing to any one lifestyle and dabbling in various concepts wasn't helping me. Second, I have for a long time thought about how so many things are faux foods for me, substitutions for things that I should not be eating, BUT these faux foods are not necessarily any better. I think I started wondering about this concept a few years ago in a Weight Watchers meeting (NOTE: I have no issue with the WW program, it does work for some people. I just couldn't figure out how to make it work for me), when some people there were touting high fiber pop tarts as a good bang for the points. That just felt strange to me, too many substitutes that are not that good for you. Things like sugar substitutes have played too large of a part in my life. I need to work on that.

Anyway, that is my ramblings for today. Have a great one! I know I will!

Day 4....it's getting easier...

I guess it's getting easier. Yesterday I had more vegetarian chili and lots of veggies/fruit. I went to my kettlebell workout with Kristin. She gave a bit of lecture (that I deserved) about being sure I take appropriate time to rest from working out. That is always very hard for me, to think that not working out may be the best thing for me. I promised her I was going to listen to my body more when it came to working out, especially over the next few days when my diet is going to down to select vegetables and fruits.

The funny thing is, as if to prove her point, I woke up with a bit of a cold this morning. It's not bad but it is enough for me to reconsider going to the gym today. I may still go to swim, which is more for the stress relief than the cardio but we will see.

So, today is day 4 and now I give up all grains that I have not yet given up as well as nuts and seeds. The grains will not be a problem at all but the nuts and seeds may be a little hiccup. Again, I am on day 4 so hump day is in sight. Day 5, 6 and 7 are the pinnacle of the detox. Then I will start adding things back into my diet.

Well, off to work!

Day 3 of 10....

.Let's see, how did yesterday go? I still had issues with the caffeine withdrawal but it was alleviated by having some herbal tea. One of the things I like about coffee is the warmth of it so this gave me that part.

I went to kettlebell class, but I didn't feel that strong. I think it was mostly a mental thing but it wasn't a great workout...however, it was a workout!

I ate lots of roasted veggies, some vegetarian chili that Tim made me, some steel cut oats, berries, kiwi, and nuts. I actually wasn't that hungry last night after kettlebell class.

Last night I dreamt that I went off course and ate things I shouldn't have. I wonder what it means to be dreaming about this process? I guess it is something that is on my mind so much that it takes over during my sleeping hours.

So, per the schedule, today I start giving up grains, which really isn't an issue since I haven't had any in the past two days. Today it is gluten grains (wheat, rye, barley, corn, etc.). Tomorrow will be other things like rice and quinoa. I also have a session with Kristin, who I do one on one training with kettlebells. I hope I am ready for it.

How are you all doing? Drop me a comment or email and let me know!

Day 2 of the detox

I made it through the first day of the detox with no slip ups. Today I eliminate dairy and eggs.

Last night was tough...but I was tougher. I had a blasted caffeine headache all evening so I finally just went to sleep. I did eat lots of roasted veggies and some eggs throughout the day. Tonight I will be making this vegetarian chili that I can eat for the next couple of days. I also start this protein supplement that is part of the detox. Still, the lack of caffeine is tough but I know I was overdoing it on the caffeine the past few months. Why did I ever have to discover Cherry Coke Zero????

Today is the first day back at work for the year. I hope I am not too cranky!

January 2, 2012

I am not really sure how I am going to make use of this blog this year but today I wanted to post about my first day of the 10 day detox. Today, I eliminate a lot -- refined sugars, alcohol, caffeine, flesh foods, artificial colorings, packaged or processed foods. A few months ago this would not have been a big deal but today it may be as I have let a lot of these things find their way into my eating over the holidays.

It's okay though as I know this is a good thing to do. So, this morning I had my eggs with a bunch of broccoli. I did NOT have coffee or toast. Later today I will go to kettlebell class and stop at the gym to stair climb. This afternoon I will make a quinoa salad and roast a bunch of vegetables for the next few days.

Honestly, I think the hardest thing will be giving up the caffeine. Tim is already looking for a place to stay for the next ten days! People I work with are thinking of alternative working arrangements. You know, though, if you think about it, how good can something be for you if you go through withdrawal when you give it up? I mean, I probably will crave sugar and white foods for the next couple of days as I am trying to remove them from my diet but isn't that a sign that it should be removed from my diet?

So, the quest for the new year's goals starts. If you are reading this, THANKS! I do appreciate your support!