Week 3: The Week Everything Started to Click

I cannot quite believe I have reached Week 3 already.

If Week 2 was all about changing my thinking, this week felt very different. In fact, there is not a great deal to report, and perhaps that is exactly the point. Healthy eating has simply become part of my daily routine. I am no longer thinking about every meal or constantly reminding myself why I started this experiment. The healthier choices are becoming automatic, and that has been one of the biggest surprises so far.

The biggest event this week had nothing to do with food. I came down with flu. Needless to say, that was not part of my carefully thought-out four-week plan.

Although I was not well enough to do my usual gym sessions, I still managed to reach my goal of 10,000 steps every single day. Some days the walks were slower than usual because my body needed time to recover, but I kept moving and, more importantly, I kept eating the way I had planned.

A few months ago, getting sick would probably have given me the perfect excuse to abandon the experiment for a few days and promise myself that I would "start again on Monday". This time, that thought never really entered my mind. I simply carried on as best I could and accepted that recovering from flu had to take priority over lifting weights.

One thing that certainly has not changed is how good I feel. My energy levels remain consistently high, even though I have been recovering from flu. I am still sleeping incredibly well, which continues to amaze me because good sleep has never come easily to me. Every morning I wake up feeling properly rested, and that alone has made this experiment worthwhile.

Another little milestone made me smile this week. My clothes are beginning to feel a little looser. I have deliberately tried not to become obsessed with the number on the scale because I know lasting health is about much more than weight. Instead, I have been paying attention to how I feel, how my clothes fit and how much energy I have. Those small changes tell their own story.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all has been how much my relationship with food has changed. When I started this experiment, I honestly believed I would spend four weeks missing all the foods I had cut back on. I thought I would constantly be thinking about rusks, fish and chips, takeaway meals and anything covered in melted cheese.

Instead, something rather unexpected has happened. I no longer crave those foods. In fact, the thought of greasy takeaway food no longer has the appeal it once did. These days, my mouth actually waters when I think about a fresh salad filled with tomatoes, cucumber, creamy avocado, grilled chicken and a little feta cheese. If someone had told me a month ago that I would be writing those words, I would probably have laughed.

It makes me wonder whether our taste buds adapt more quickly than we realise. Or perhaps it is simply that, once your body becomes used to nourishing food, it starts asking for more of it. Whatever the reason, I never expected healthy food to become something I genuinely look forward to eating.

Looking back over the past three weeks, I realise that this experiment has become about far more than reducing carbohydrates.

It has taught me that healthy habits are built during ordinary weeks. They are built when life gets in the way, when you are not feeling your best and when you simply keep doing the next sensible thing instead of giving up altogether.

Next week will be the final week of my 28-day experiment, and I am looking forward to sharing the results with you. More importantly, I already know one thing.  This is not the end.

When I started this experiment, I thought I was giving things up. I thought I would spend four weeks saying goodbye to favourite foods and relying on willpower to get me through. Instead, I have gained far more than I have lost. I have gained steady energy, wonderful sleep, healthier habits and a completely different way of looking at food.

For the first time in a very long time, healthy eating no longer feels like a diet.

It simply feels like the way I want to live.

See you next Friday for the final chapter.

💌 Before You Go

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