The Fat Girl Running – Kristann Monaghan

We all know my struggles with weight loss. I mean I have been on every diet known to man I swear. I feel my whole life has been a struggle to get weight off and keep it off. It is a real issue. I have such a love/hate with food. I love to eat it and I hate that it makes me gain weight. Some people feel food is an addiction and for the longest time, I felt that is what my problem was…I was addicted to food. What I didn’t realize is that I was actually addicted to something else…sugar. You may think I am full of crap, but read on. You will understand as I explain my road on the Wilder Way.

What way you ask? The Wilder Way! Back in May, I decided to try out an 8 week challenge to kick start my weight loss yet again. My friends had all been talking about how author Jasinda Wilder was coming out with a weight loss book and how they were going to try it out. I admit, I was curious since I am always looking for a new way to try and lose my stoob. I joined Jasinda’s online support group on Facebook and started reading about what she has coined the Wilder Way. I mean she looks amazeballs with losing the equivalent to a whole person. For reals. There has to be something to it if she has lost that much weight, right? I ordered the book, Big Girls Do It Running, which sounded perfect for this Fat Girl Running and started reading. 8 weeks? I can do that. That is nothing. Then I got to the part where Jasinda explains about sugar and sugar addiction. Nah. That can’t be me. I am not addicted to sugar. I hardly eat sweets. Nope. She totally is not speaking to me.  I kept reading and got the basics. The first 4 weeks of the challenge you slowly cut out sugar from your diet and detox from it. The next 4 you learn all about good fats and carbs and how to carb cycle. It sounded super interesting and something I could do. But I was still convinced I was not addicted to sugar.

I started the challenge and found it to be pretty easy. I can do this. Cutting out sugar slowly meant I had to make different food/drink choices. But I was ready for this. I needed this. Was I addicted to sugar? Nah. Not me. Then the headaches started. About week 3 I was plagued with 3 to 4 days of solid headaches, some even migraines. It was awful. The headaches were rancid and I could not figure out why until I read in the book about the signs of sugar detox. The first one? Headaches. Huh. After those 3-4 days, the headaches went away and I had more energy. I was sleeping better. My skin looked amazing. I felt so much better. Hmmmm.  After 4 weeks, I was sugar free and have not looked back. Maybe there was something to this sugar addiction Jasinda was talking about. I was sugar addicted and did not even realize it.

After I became sugar free, the weight started coming off. I started learning about good carbs and good fats and how to switch foods up to carb cycle. Jasinda uses plate colors to help you figure this out. White plates for meals with carbs and lean proteins, black plates for no carbs and full fats (including ice cream and chocolate made with stevia!).  It was the easiest thing I have ever done. BFF has even figured out what color plate I am eating when we go out or when she looks at my lunch. It is that easy. I swear it is. 

I completed the 8 weeks and kept going. Weight keeps steadily coming off and I didn’t even have to change my lifestyle that much. I have found the Wilder Way to be the easiest and most flexible eating plan I have ever been on. Hands down. I honestly don’t think I ever realized how much sugar was in the foods that I was eating. I never stopped to read labels before and now I am. I no longer buy foods that contain sugar or drink soda. I don’t eat fast food like I used to eat it and I don’t even crave it. I am fuller when I eat. I cook! I rediscovered my love of cooking with the Wilder Way and making dinner is now a pleasure. I can still eat out. I am even training for a 5k! My initial dream of doing the Tinker bell 5k at Disneyland is probably going to happen. All because of the Wilder Way. Jasinda has changed the way I look at food and I am almost 15 pounds down (should be by next week) in 12 weeks now. That is about a pound a week which is a good healthy weight loss. Last night I did a Naked Dance of Joy when my towel closed all the way around me. Epic Naked Dance of Joy I tell you. All because a towel fit all the way around me without showing a big chunk of skin. It is the little things.

So check it out. Take the Wilder Way challenge. Become sugar free. I promise to keep you updated on my progress if you keep me updated on yours.

Oh yeah. I didn’t die today. I realized I was sugar addicted but didn’t die. I am sugar free Fat Girl on the Wilder Way Running. The experiment continues…