I am sitting down on the eve of my first Whole 30 to log my thoughts and feelings. I have read the book, followed the advice and am all set to embark on this journey. I really hate when people talk about their journey but I guess it's a pretty accurate description of what is about to happen. I have recruited friends and family to join me and I plan to use this blog as a journal and accountability tracker throughout the next 30 days.
The reason I decided to do a Whole 30 is because I've developed some pretty disordered habits around eating and exercise. Three and a half years ago I decided to get fit and lose weight. I did succeed in losing 120 pounds. I also succeeded in adding muscle mass and cardiovascular endurance to run a half marathon. I also developed an intense fear of gaining the weight back. I deprived myself of calories to the point where I couldn't stand up without being light headed. I took pride in people telling me I shouldn't lose any more weight while secretly vowing to do just that.
Obviously that type of eating program is not sustainable and I then developed a habit of eating "bad" foods secretly. I also ramped up my consumption of diet soda. For some reason it felt like a freebie because it is calorie free. I started concocting strange snacks that appeared healthy but were really calorie bombs. Eating a jar of peanut butter each week cannot be good for anyone even if it is mixed with cottage cheese and bananas. Yes it is delicious.
I also found myself getting irrationally angry if I thought my treat foods were in jeopardy. I would go out of my way to stop at the grocery store on the way to work or during the work day to ensure I would have the ingredients I needed to make my snacks.
Fast forward to Fall of 2015. I was gaining weight and feeling bad about myself despite working out 6 days per week and feeling that I was always trying to eat just the right things. I was drinking liters of diet soda every single day. I often ended up feeling jittery and nauseous but still felt that I needed it.
If you haven't figured it out already there are addictive tendencies in my family that for me come out in my eating habits. I'm pretty convinced that sugar is my drug of choice and I have to treat it the way an alcoholic treats booze. Unfortunately sugar is so readily available I will be constantly faced with temptation. I am counting on the good feelings that result from eliminating sugar to far outweigh the temporary satisfaction gained from shoveling sugary treats into my mouth.
Over the next 30 days I will post my meals, thoughts and feelings. I will report in on the progress of those doing this with me (husband, mom, brother, sister-in-law, running buddy). At the end of the 30 days I'll show some before and after pictures and pounds and inches achievements of those willing to share.
If you are on the fence about Whole 30 I totally understand. I have been batting this idea around in the back of my head for over a year. I am finally so fed up with how things have gotten that I know doing that same things I'm doing will only result in more dysfunction and take me further from my goals.
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| Food prep for Whole 30 |
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| Breakfast for week one of Whole 30 |
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