January Whole 30 - Check!

Today is February 1st, which means our (first?) Whole 30 is now complete.

I'm so happy that I did this! For so many reasons:

• I am no longer addicted to sugar.
• I can drink black coffee.
• I realized the food I prepare and serve my family can be tasty and healthy.
• My kids understood that finishing your plate does not warrant dessert every night.
• Meal planning saves money! 
• Not eating out (or going to Starbucks) saves money!
• It's not that hard to go to a party/gathering and say no, politely.
• I feel better, I have more energy (until about 8pm at night but that's not new) and no sugar crashes.

So, the big thing, for me was figuring out what I should eat to lose weight and be healthy. The results?

I lost 10 pounds this month. And a total of 7.5 inches. In a month! 

Whole 30 is not meant to be maintainable, its meant for 30 days at a time. I know I will do another one, but I've learned I cannot do it while training for an endurance race. I need more sugar and carbs to do that. So, I'm modifying the Whole 30 for the next 2 months at least. 

Here's what I'm going to keep:

• Meal planning - work up front but easy once I've shopped and prepped.
• Limited eating out - no last minute lunch trips or pizza delivery because I'm tired
• Make a conscious decision to eat something sweet or non-compliant before it is put in front of me. For example, I'm going to book club and I'm sure there will be desserts and chips and salsa and dip. I will decide before I arrive what I'm going to do and then tell a supportive friend and then do it.
• Eat breakfast - this was a game changer for me. Weekends are still hard, but during the week, I've seen a huge difference in my demeanor with breakfast. I like to get some meat and potatoes ready in advance and then scramble some eggs and take it to work. I eat by 8 am at my desk each day and am usually not hungry until lunch.
• Evening snacking - I have rarely snacked during the evening this past month. I plan to keep it that way. A little lemon-oily water or a sparkling water post-dinner is enough.

Things I'm adding:

• Being cautious about the other things I put in or on my body. I spent a month putting only good, whole, healthy things in my mouth and I should also be concerned with what is going on my body. Lotions, shampoos, medicines, etc.
• Supplements - I need to head to my local Complete Nutrition and figure out what to do for that.

Thanks for sticking with me through this journey. Its been eye-opening and even fun at times.