The Flergers!

So, doubtless most of you have seen my numerous food posts on Facebook over the last month or so and have seen the hashtags regarding the Whole30 that I've been talking about.

I've never been on an eating plan or made special concessions regarding food choices in my life--its just not something that I've ever had to do or wanted to. So when a coworker (Hi Dack!) told me about the Whole30 back in late January I thought "Pshh. NO FREAKIN' WAY I could do that!" No sugar? No dairy? No alcohol? That's a one-way-ticket to Crazytown, and I'm not boarding that train. I put it in the back of my mind and let it collect dust.

If you only even know me a little bit you know that I LOVE FOOD. I do. I love to cook it, to eat it, to talk about it, to think about it, to plan for it, to make it important, etc. Ever since I was a kid I've been baking or cooking for my family and it is my first love. But for a while now its become a frustration to me. And since I had another baby and we moved and my time got spread super-thin, food had just become a hassle. It was just "one more thing" I had to worry about for myself and my family and I started to resent it. I didn't really feel like cooking (I did it, but often begrudged the task) and I'm sad to say that for a while we were relying heavily on fast food, take-out and cereal. I am not knocking this as a lifestyle choice--its just not the norm for me or my family and it was not a good thing for us.

None of the things I talked about in the previous paragraph have anything to do with WHY I decided to do the Whole30, but they will come back into play, so stay with me.

Several months go by and I learn that my beloved friend RoseMary has been talking to her daughter about the Whole30 and she and I started talking about it again. This time, instead of thinking negatively about it, we started asking questions and reading about it. We talked to Mr. Dack and found out what it did for him and how he felt afterwards. We started pinning recipes to Whole30 Pinterest boards and drooling over potential dinners. We joined a support group on Facebook for inspiration, guidance and to know that others were doing it too.

WHY did I have a change of heart about it? Ya'll--I'm 38 but for a while now I've felt like I was 65. I have had aches and pains in my joints for no reason, especially in my knees and shoulders. I haven't slept well in years, and when I got a good night's rest it was thanks to a sleep aid because that was the only way I could stay asleep. Towards the end of the school year my eating habits had gotten really bad and I felt like crap all the time. I was eating nothing but sugar and carbs (but not from vegetables) and drinking more regularly than I probably should have. My brain felt foggy all the time, and I'd compensate for the fogginess and lack of sleep by drinking coffee off and on all day. My hormones still felt all out of whack post-pregnancy, and my PMS and periods were really bad. I had an upset stomach and felt bloated more than half of the time and just figured that was how things were going to be and that I would just learn to live with it.

Or not. Because lets be honest...I'm a control freak and I'm not content to just sit here and feel like crap. I'm gonna do something about it!

The more I read about the Whole30 and talked to people the more curiosity I about it. I read a lot of amazing testimonials online and in doing this I found people I knew who were coming out of the woodwork who had also done this. These are the people that I leaned on for support until I felt ready to take charge myself. I got the book "It Starts With Food" on my Kindle and started reading it, and then the Whole30 cookbook came out and I grabbed that one too. I scoured Pinterest for things that sounded "doable" for a Whole30 newbie and started making a menu plan and grocery list. I decided that I was going to do this even if I was the only person in my house who was.

The first thing you need to know is that this is VERY doable. It is NOT a diet but it is a "reset" for your metabolism and a "do-over" to help you with your relationship regarding food. You can read more about the program on the Whole30 website (which is a really good resource and I highly recommend starting there if you are even thinking about doing this.) I also highly recommend reading the first book, "It Starts With Food" to fully understand what you are getting yourself into and to understand the WHY behind the foods we eat and what they do to our bodies.

The rest of my adventure was posted online daily, even while I was traveling with the kids to New Mexico and during the week while we were there. I worked very hard to stick to my eating plan and to make real food that nourished my body.

Because of the Whole30, my relationship with food has changed. I have a renewed sense of joy when cooking and I am excited about making food for my family again. I get excited about trying new marinades or eating a vegetable I don't normally cook. This brought back the love that I had lost with cooking and it feels good to be back!

As for how I feel? This is the best part!!

Now, while I didn't enter into this for a weight-loss plan, it has been a perk. I've lost a little over 11 pounds, most of which I discovered was bloat (I just thought it was leftover tummy from my pregnancy with Gable.) My mid-section has curves again (not rolls) and my tummy is flat again! I weigh the same now as I did before I got pregnant with Lucas...I haven't seen that number on the scale in a long time. I can see my hipbones again (just slightly.)  My favorite jeans fit again and I can breathe in them!!

The achiness and inflammation in my knees and shoulders has gotten significantly better and I don't feel like an arthritic 65-year-old. I have a lot more energy now as well. Even on days when I don't nap with the kids I can make it through the day just fine (and I don't have to load up with caffeine to do it!) Speaking of caffeine, my relationship with it has changed as well. I still like to have my cup of tea or coffee in the morning but I don't use sugar now or feel like I need to. I've grown to love it with coconut milk and that's it. I did discover "bulletproof coffee" a few days ago and oh lordy it is good, but I don't make it every day.

While I was still emotional during the PMS stage of the month, my cramps and bloating have been virtually non-existent this month and my emotions have felt a bit more in check. That is huge because things were pretty miserable before now. And I've never been more regular in my whole life (sorry if that is TMI, but its a perk, and one I feel worth mentioning.)

The sleep thing has been one of the other great improvements I've noticed. I had a little trouble sleeping the first 4-5 nights while my body adjusted to its new metabolism, but since then I sleep beautifully. Even if I have to get up in the middle of the night, I don't have much trouble getting back to sleep. And I haven't taken a Unisom or Tylenol PM since before I started. :)

I've been off plan for 3 days now but I haven't changed much of what I was doing while I was on the Whole30. I'm going to slowly incorporate foods back into my diet to see how my body responds to them. I'm starting slowly with small amounts of non-gluten grains and then will slowly try legumes, dairy, and alcohol. (I did have a glass of wine on my birthday I'm holding off as long as possible with anything gluten related because that is one of the biggest culprits of inflammation.) So far, I don't really miss bread and I'm feeling okay without it. I'm not adding sugar to things that I don't feel need them but I'm not going to stress out if I eat some ketchup with it in it.

From here on out, I think I'm going to try to follow a largely Paleo diet and stick to what I've learned about what I can eat, what I need to eat, and what I shouldn't. I am having a lot of fun learning more about eating real food and I look forward to more cooking adventures!

If you are thinking about giving the Whole30 a try, let me know. I will gladly share my meal plan that I used, cheer you on, and be a support system for you! I intend on doing this again each summer (or if I need it before then, like maybe after Christmas) and it really does help to have someone to talk to about what you are doing.