What to Expect When You're Whole30'ing...

What to Expect When You're Whole30'ing...

Let me tell you...  Whole30 is NOT easy!!!  It takes A LOT of commitment and control to successfully complete a round.  I can literally transform from calm to crazy mad within seconds.  On our way home from Hastings yesterday, we made a stop at the Columbus Hy-Vee so I could stock up on more Whole30 compliant groceries for the upcoming week.  To save time, I asked Mike to go to the meat counter and get 2 chicken kabobs for dinner because not only were they compliant, but I would earn Fuel Saver points.  It was a win-win (so I thought)!  When we were 3 miles from home, I learned Mike picked out marinated chicken breasts.  Marinated chicken breasts meant noncompliant chicken breasts.  I about lost it!  Was he not paying attention to me as I was meticulously reading every label to review ingredients and putting countless items back on the shelf due to their noncompliance?  Needless to say, I will be sure to be the one who puts ALL groceries in the cart going forward to ensure I know I can eat what I am purchasing.  Interestingly enough, neither one of us ate those noncompliant chicken kabobs for dinner last night.  Instead, they got thrown into the freezer for another meal when we can both eat them.  We'll see if this story comes up at the dinner table that night!  

With Whole30, there comes a plethora of advice, tips and recipes.  What I have found to be most helpful and pretty spot on is the lovely calendar that lays out how one can expect to feel while completing a round of Whole30.  I have successfully made it past the grueling hangover phase accompanied by morning headaches, wanting to kill all things in sight, not wanting to get off of the couch or leave my bed and have now made it into the pants feeling tighter phase (Day 8).  Thankfully, this phase is only temporary and I will soon cruise into the hardest days.  Yeah!!!  (Wink, wink!)  However, good days are on the horizon and I will not let my tight pants, wanting to nap all day, hungover and dragon slaying self get in the way!

This first week of Whole30 has also wreaked havoc on my skin which is completely normal and to be expected per my trusty Whole30 resources.  My already sensitive skin has gone from not so great to horrible this week.  To try to help rejuvenate my skin, I ended my Sunday evening with a charcoal mask.  I didn't look pretty doing it, but it felt amazing!  Going forward, I plan to end every Sunday night with a facial mask (and a glass of wine following this round of Whole30)! 

I began my round of Whole30 with 30 stones in one white dish.  I can now relish in the fact that I have successfully completed my first week!  Though I still have many more days ahead of me than behind me, I feel as if I am on the right track!  My cravings are minimizing and my desire to keep going is growing stronger.  All in all, I would say this round has been easier than my first.  I'm not sure if it is because I know what to expect or because I am too busy working, studying, oohing and aahing over my new niece and trying to have some semblance of a social life to realize or care what foods I am no longer consuming.  Regardless, I hope the road ahead proves this reset to be worthwhile and provides unlimited rewards for me and my health!  Let the journey continue!