Whole30 Round 2 - Day 11
Stay close to any sounds that make you glad you are alive. (Hafiz)
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a complicated relationship with food. I love it, I hate it, I feel like I deserve it. Completing the first round of Whole30 helped me embrace a more simple, less fussy approach. I ate real food, stopped counting calories, stopped weighing myself. (Here are my recaps from day 12 and day 26.)
Whole30 worked for me. More than any other diet, approach, or way of thinking about food has. Even as a collegiate athlete, I didn't fuel my body like this. The results from my first round were nice too! My before and after pictures surprised me. (I really didn't want to take before pics, but I'm glad I did).
With that said, my reintroduction was challenging. I added everything back into my diet all at once, while traveling through Europe for 3 weeks. My Mister and I had an incredible trip, and we ate and drank with abandon!
Intellectually, I wanted to enjoy every facet of the trip, especially the food! Emotionally, I felt like each unhealthy choice erased the progress I made in the past 30 days. It was a struggle to "just enjoy" the unique food, drink, and experiences at our fingertips. But, since my relationship with food is complicated and we went to a bunch of amazing restaurants, I ate it all anyways.
I haven't uncovered the lesson in that experience yet. One thing I have come to realize is that it's impossible to erase the past. Maybe the "fix" then is to focus on being fully present in this moment... rather than worrying about what was or will be. That thought is much bigger than food, but I think it applies.
When we arrived home, I was eager to start a new Whole30! This time I'm doing it for 6 weeks, which leads right up to the week before my wedding. Today is day #11 of my round 2.
I am feeling... much better! Cutting out grains, dairy, added sugar, and alcohol is a magical reset for me. The first few days were rough, especially because we went to a music festival this past weekend. I was ok without drinking alcohol, but my food options were limited. However, my anxiety about what it would be like turned out to be much worse than the actual experience. Once the music was playing, I was dancing and having fun like everyone else. With 10 days behind me, I am humming along and feeling good. It’s so nice!
I have been eating... simple breakfasts with blended coffees, followed by easy salads for lunch. For two nights, we devoured a spicy version of this Mexican Chicken Chili. And for other dinners, I have been pairing a protein with two veggies. I have a few favorite go-to "recipes" for cooking up the basics. My top three are: baked sweet potato, roasted butternut squash, and sautéed kale. I'm excited to cook up some slow cooker chicken curry for tonight and plan to serve it over spicy roasted cauliflower.
I have been loving... the kind and supportive Instagram community that I've fallen into. Seriously, the best! It's so fun to get new ideas from others eating this way. I have also enjoyed connecting with some people who are curious or interested in Whole30.
I am thinking about... adding a few more things to the mix, like: giving up caffeine for awhile, working out more often, and increasing my water intake. I am also thinking about how I can integrate this way of eating with my normal life. What does that look like? How can I make choices I feel good about when I'm at restaurants, eating with friends, etc?
So, tell me, would you experiment with a Whole30? If you have tried it or are doing it now, let me know. I would love to connect about what has worked or not worked for you, and share some more of my experience with you!
