SOCIAL MEDIA

3.09.2016

Whole30 Halfway Check-In

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Halfway, already?! That's right! As a matter of fact, I am currently on day 17. This round of Whole30 is definitely flying by and I have really been enjoying it! In 17 short days, I have already been feeling much better (aside from a cold I am battling at the moment), have noticed my clothes fitting better, and have generally been in a good mood!

By the way, I don't think I really covered this in my last post about Whole30, but essentially the Whole30 program is a 30 day challenge in which you avoid certain foods, such as dairy, grains, legumes, soy, added sugar or sweeteners of any kind, corn products, nitrates, and other additives. Basically, you just eat whole, natural foods! Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, veggies, fruit, nuts, and oils are all good things. The purpose of this is to get processed foods and sugars out of your system and see how certain foods affect your body. It is a wonderful program and way of life, and I highly recommend you read more about it!
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I surprisingly haven't really been craving anything off limits, which I think is a good sign that this way of eating really aligns well with my body. I am actually kind of shocked that I haven't wanted anything sugary, despite being around others eating those types of things! Maybe I really am breaking my addiction with sugar??

I have been enjoying cooking and have been trying different things that I didn't make my first round of Whole30. I recently made spaghetti squash for the first time and really liked it! It was easy to heat up throughout the week and top with meatballs and compliant marinara sauce or eat with this shrimp and "pasta" dish we made. We attempted to make our own garlic mayo (it was a failure. it has been determined that we need an immersion blender), made burgers with sweet potato "buns," and hit up the hot bar at Whole Foods for a little lunch date.whole30-2
I also made little egg muffins that were easy to heat up in the microwave before I left in the morning for breakfast on the go, experimented with chia pudding (i really wanted to like it, but...no.), and have been tracking down various Whole30 approved products.

Truthfully, Dai wasn't all that thrilled about me doing another Whole30 (and even tried to talk me out of it!) because it affects him and the things we can cook or places we go to eat when we are together. It is totally understandable since he doesn't really want to do Whole30 himself. He has been so supportive though! I really appreciate him modifying things to fit my needs and getting excited about trying out new recipes and foods. It is nice to have someone rooting for you :)

Overall, its been a fun process so far and actually much easier than I anticipated it would be. I will admit, there are a few things I miss like being able to order iced coffee with milk at Starbucks or having rice and beans in my bowl at Chipotle, but I have no regrets and I know that I will not be avoiding those foods forever!

The next step, aside from finishing up these 30 days strong, is figuring out what I want my life after Whole30 to look like and what kind of balance I want. I don't think that following the Whole30 guidelines is something I will do every single day, but is definitely something I want to keep in mind in my day to day life. I am thinking that I may try out an adapted paleo diet, although I need to do more research about all of my options! Either way, I am happy with my progress so far and look forward to seeing where the second half of this journey takes me :)