Whole30

Our dear friends who have been doing Whole30 for the past 2 months are the inspiration for me to jump on board.  And y'all, it's been eye opening.  I started 9 days ago, but I've had to start over twice. The first day, I chewed gum in between meals.  It was out of habit, I'm a big gum chewer, so I didn't think how it was not allowed in Whole30 until the end of the day.  So I restarted the next day.  However, on Friday we went to Red Robin and I ordered a lettuce wrap burger, praying that it was Whole30 compliant, but I don't think it was because it did a number to my stomach that night.  So back to Day 1 on Saturday.  Does it sound silly to start over because of those little slips? Maybe. But if I'm going to commit to this, I want to do it right.

So I should be on day 9 if I had followed through, but officially I am on Day 5.  I had really big cravings over the weekend. And I've felt like I had morning sickness...bad headaches, nausea, and I was tired.  I've read that it normally happens within the first week.  But I think it's getting better.  I begin a meal hungry, but end up not finishing it.  I think I'm getting full more quickly.  And I'm not snacking as much.  My energy doesn't seem to be going up.  Probably because I take the kids to the pool almost everyday and the heat is on!!  I am wiped after a couple hours there!

It does take awhile for me to meal plan.  I did buy a Whole30 cookbook, so that has been helpful.  But some of the recipes calls for mayo, ranch, fish sauce, mustard, and they all have to be Whole30 compliant.  So I can either make my own (no, thanks) or buy it online, which is expensive.  We'll.

Physically, I am definitely less bloated, and that feels great!!  However, because my sodium intake has decreased, I have realized that when I do eat things with sodium, my legs swell.  That usually happens after I finish a period of clean eating then go back to my usual eating habits.  So I am really watching how salt I put on my food. And I have never cut out carbs and dairy, so this is really a test.  I LOVE carbs and sweets and I crave them, but I remind myself how I might feel if I gave in and ate them. I'd feel guilty and probably sick.

My goal for Whole30 is to be healthy. It would be great to lose a couple pounds, but I want to be healthy and make it a lifestyle.  I would love to continue doing it past the 30 days.  There are so many people who have health issues, so why can't I make a change in my health to prevent me from having issues.  I am sure it will be eye-opening!!