I walked down to watch hubby fish and he took a 9 Month Photo of me.

I can’t tell you how thrilled I am. May 2nd was the 9 month marker of following the S & E eating plan. We use quite a few recipes from the Trim Healthy Mama book. Most meals, however, are just the food at hand, and picking a side – S-Satisfying-Fats or E-Energizing Carbs. Depending on what is available, I just try to go as low carb, or low fat as possible.

I have slowed down on the weight loss since the first few months. In the last 3 months I’ve only lost 10 pounds, but they have stayed off and the scale no longer jumps up and down 5 pounds. It just stays the same, or moves down a few ounces a week. I’ll take ounces lost, over pounds gained.

I could get back to being a purist and obsessive about the eating plan, but I want this to be a life long journey to health. I eat corn, corn chips, tostadas, popcorn, etc – in both S and E settings. I don’t feel an insulin response from it, it is only once a week or less, but it is one area I go beyond the recommendations for the strict plan.

We have eaten French Fries – not volumes, but 4-5 when they are around. I am thinking of trying Red Potatoes or Russet for Baked Potatoes once or twice a month. I love baked stuffed potatoes. I think I could go low fat with them and enjoy it for a good yummy crossover meal. We’ll see. I think portions and keeping it an E Helper/Crossover will be key.

The big change we made was on May 1st. I had been eating store bought sugar free products like Diet Coke, Jello, Candy, and Adkins Bars. During April, my intestines would churn and churn and be painful. I was getting a lot of swelling beneath my ribs, like where the liver might be. I felt sluggish, endured afternoon head aches and had intestinal pain often.

On the National Day of Prayer we gathered to pray for the Nation and I grabbed a Diet coke and two S/F Chocos before I left. I sat through the prayer gathering a miserable mess as my stomach churned loudly. I prayed, and asked the Lord what I could do, what I could tweek. I felt/heard an audible type response of – “Cut out Diet Coke. It. Is. Killing. You.  Get rid of your Russell Stover snacks, they are killing you and they are not fuel.”

Now, normally, when I hear something I don’t like from that Still Quiet Voice, I argue. But this wasn’t still and quiet. It was Powerful Passionate and Begging. And I knew, in my heart, He was right. So – Cold Turkey – we let it go. I told my family what happened, and we all four quit consuming products with any sweetner in it besides pure Stevia. The Stevia we had contained Dextrose. What?

The migraines stopped that very next day. The Stomach felt better with each passing day. I felt the detox and withdrawals intensely. I craved Diet Coke like mad. Irritable. Low grade headache and fever for 5 days.  A general feeling of ‘feeling better’ continued. After a few days I no longer wanted a Diet Coke. At. All.  I made a yogurt with Truvia and it was too sweet. I quit adding truvia to my lemon/lime water. It was just too sweet. I had Cottage Berry Whip last night and it was  . . . too sweet.

I picked up some honey at the farmers market this week, local blackberry honey. It will be what we add to the boys’ smoothies and food. I’ve banned them from consuming any sugar free product. Jon has not complained of a headache since the first of the month, and he has had afternoons where I would have expected it.

So – Now I’ll be one of ‘those moms’. Screaming at people at how Splenda will kill you. But I think I got it straight from The One that knows.

Hubby said my stomach has really shrunk this week. I really see it in my rib cage and beneath. All the swelling is gone. I’m going shopping for new clothes this afternoon.

For 20 years, I’ve watched what I’ve eaten and increased my exercise from Jan – May hoping, wishing, praying that my clothes would not fit by June. Some years I just prayed that my summer clothes would fit. . . . Some years, by July, my shorts wouldn’t fit extra tight. This year? Nothing fits. I had to buy all new shorts in January for our trip – 10/12’s. We’ll be going to the thrift stores to look for summer clothes this afternoon.

So – after 9 months – the main thing that I think we did – was to cut out the Whites. Flour, Sugar, Rice and Potatoes. I can see that I loose more when I am strict with the S & E Plan, not mixing fats and carbs. But I don’t gain if I do, within reason. I enjoyed great foods, even Ladies Tea items on Mother’s Day. No change on the scale. 

I will continue to encourage people to feed their families healthy meals without whites. I think it would change our nation.

Photo this week. I was sad that the shirt poofs out and doesn’t show my slim tummy. But then I remember. I didn’t wear this hand-me-down shirt last year, as it was too tight all over. Like a tube top gone wrong with short sleeves. Happy Happy Girl.