Whole30 Week 2 Recap

All I can say is wow. As I reflect on the last 14 days I am in awe of the changes I have seen with the Whole30 in such a short time. Yes, the first 7-10 days were hard. Yes, Dustin and I fought about things like ham and stir fry veggie prep. It goes with the territory. I've done more dishes in the last 2 weeks than in the last year I swear. We're legitimately talking about remodeling our kitchen to add a dishwasher so we can maintain this lifestyle if that tells you anything.

Here's what I've learned this week:
 - Variety is key! We hit a slump toward the end of week 2 and weren't feeling excited about our food choices at all. I made a trip to Whole Foods and found some plantain chips, Tessame dressing and special breakfast sausages to spice up our weekend eating. It was just what we needed. The Southwest Ranch dressing was spicy and delicious, the plantain chips satisfied the salty crunchy sensation we had been longing for and the sausages were just enough of a change from our normal breakfast routine that we were reinvigorated.

- You can socialize with friends but it's still hard. We were lucky enough to find friends who were willing to have us over AND cook food that fit our needs. They are also on a healthy eating kick so it was great to be able to share in that. We were all a bit cranky that we couldn't have our normal beer or wine or cocktail but at least we were in it together. We also noticed we were tired by 8pm. I guess we really are getting old.

- My energy is finally coming back. I jumped out of bed at 4:50am today without much effort. The first 2 weeks I could hardly drag myself down the stairs to get my workouts done. I felt better doing my workout too. Yippee!

Chicken Primavera reecipe from Whole30 book.

- I feel so good. It's hard to describe the feeling but I think it's a combination of not being bloated all the time, not feeling guilty about how "good" my food choices were on a given day, and my sleep is epic. I still have crazy dreams and have to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night but I'm hoping it's more toxins flushing out.

- Whole30 food does not have to be boring. We made ribs in the slow cooker last night and our 6 year old could not get enough. Nothing makes me happier than seeing my kids come on board. Granted the 4 year old threw a fit and refused to even try but baby steps right?

- Support is key. Having 4 other people in this with me makes all the difference. And since it was my idea I feel even more like I need to set a good example and see this through.

- I can't wait to carry these habits forward beyond the 30 days and live a more balanced happy life! I have so much more time in my day now that I'm not obsessing about food and soda and eating naughty things. Fueling my body has taken on a whole new meaning and I feel so at ease.

- I really want to weigh myself. I totally understand the why behind not doing it for 30 days but it helps me to see progress through numbers. I need to remember that the number on the scale would not change anything about what I do for the next 2 weeks. Clearly I still have work to do.

If you are doing a Whole30 too I hope you are getting as much benefit as I am from the program. I have found it very helpful to read others experiences online. It is amazing how similar all the stories sound.

Crock Pot full of delicious ribs.