21 Days In

Guys--we've made it 21 days and I haven't thought about pizza for a solid 5 minutes!😜

...fire roasted with buffalo mozzarella and fresh tomatoes and a bottle carafe glass of zinfand...make that 2 minutes 😑.

There were several moments last week where we wanted to throw in the towel -- busy days, poor planning, socializing -- but we stayed strong!  We are at the tail end of our journey and I'm once again enjoying the process and the results, but it has not been without a little whining.

So, was it worth it?  Without question or hesitation: YES.  I feel noticeably healthy, I don't ever feel sluggish after a meal, and it no longer feels like my pants are trying to kill me 👏.  Eric, I think, would say it has been worth it too, considering he has lost more than 15 pounds.  (WTactualF) To his credit, he has also been working on portion control in addition to clean eating, so the weight has practically fallen off him.  I didn't intend to use Whole 30 as a weight loss strategy, but it's clearly possible, if that's your endgame.

Visual representation of transitioning out of Whole 30:  A rule angel on one shoulder, a sugar devil on the other. 

This coming weekend we are heading to an indoor waterpark with our family, so Whole 30 rules will not be strictly adhered to, and I'm a little nervous.  I have grown sort of fond of these black and white rules; I like that there's no gray, no gateway to irresponsible choices.  The lessons I've learned are fresh, and I'm hoping to remember them in order to not get totally thrown out of whack:

• I learned that food manufacturers add sugar to just about everything, (salsa! salad dressing! every single condiment known to mankind!) but I can say no to these things, easily, and not miss out on any of the joy a good meal can bring. 

• A little more food prep and planning ahead is worth it, and it doesn't make me less fun or easygoing, or even take that much extra time. 

• Eating mindlessly is my native tongue -- a couple goldfish here, a few crackers and cheese there -- it's easy and I love it.  But that stuff adds up, and it doesn't fill up.  

• I like to use food as a reward -- Elle's down for a nap, let's have a cup of coffee and some chocolate! -- and that's something I'm going to continue to be aware of and, hopefully, break going forward.  Food is wonderful, but I'm not four, I don't need a treat for making it through the morning with my very precocious children, or a glass or two of wine for simply surviving the day.  The whole point of this life is to enjoy the time I've been given, and I would like to stop the association that when I'm stressed or joyful I should turn to food or drink as an expression of these feelings.  I'm not sure how to do this yet, but awareness, I think, is a step in the right direction.

My overall take away is that while Whole 30 is not hard, it is sometimes inconvenient, but wholly worth it, especially if you can find a partner to come along for the ride. Going forward, we will continue to eat clean during the week, eliminate sugar with our Whole 30 substitutes whenever possible, and enjoy a glass of wine or a drink once during the week and once or twice on the weekend.  It's also nice to know that if we do slip into sugar-crazed bread fiends again, we can simply start up another 30 days of strict rules to get us back on track.  These last weeks have made enough of a impact to influence our choices henceforth, and I'm really proud of us for doing this.  Next up -- working on finding no-sugar-added substitutes for many of our kid's favorite foods. 🙀 Don't tell them.

TWO nonytails, mommy. 😳

Are you thinking about Whole 30?  Are you scared about it?  Let's chat. Have you done Whole 30?  I want to know how it went for you, and how you transitioned back into the real world, and frankly, which indulgence you chose first. 

(For future reference, I'm linking recipes we made this week and thoughts on them below:)
https://tastythin.com/asian-chicken-chopped-salad-whole30-paleo/
Good but not great.  Double the dressing next time.

http://40aprons.com/whole30-egg-roll-bowl-paleo/
Delicious!  Served with roasted potatoes and roasted beans and we both loved it.  Kids wouldn't try it.  (This website has been a winner every time!)

We still enjoyed our "normal" meals best, something we would have eaten anyway -- burgers, steaks, roasted veggies, salads -- just modified to fit our rules.

Thanks, as always, for reading, and let's do a virtual toast Friday evening, say 5 pm? 😼