Whole30: Musings from 12 Days In

Just a few quick notes and observations from this week: 

I feel good. I am sleeping well, and as predicted, I feel like my moods and energy levels are more consistent throughout the day. I have swapped out coffee for black tea with little to no fuss. There are no mid-morning or mid-afternoon slumps. (And in fact, I've been thrown some curve balls this week at work that I think I've handled quite well, avoiding my usual stressful responses.) 

I've always thought I was pretty good at reading food labels, but wow there are so many crazy additives in our food. Why can't I buy dill pickles at my normal grocery store that don't have Yellow 5 in them? Why?

On a slightly strange note, I participated in a church event last night that offered Communion. I was almost paralyzed with the decision of whether to take it (bread and wine, both Whole30 no-nos). I finally reasoned that (a) God trumps diet and (b) the small quantity of forbidden foods would not in themselves derail my month.

In the last few days, my coworkers have noticed the change as my weight drops. The pace is slower now than last week (as to be expected) but the scale continues to nudge lower. (I know, I know, I'm not supposed to weigh myself on Whole30. But it's so motivating!)

I've also really enjoyed the experience of looking at foods that I once would have sneaked in as guilty treats like cookies, candy, the fresh cinnamon rolls at work the other morning--now, I don't feel any emotion. I can observe "Oh, that looks so good," without feeling an urge to eat it. It's very liberating for this sugar- and treat-obsessed gal!

I got my new cookbook this week, Well Fed 2, and can't wait to try some of the recipes. For the first time in my life, I bought a pork loin roast and will cook that in my crockpot tomorrow. I will post pictures of that!

Finally, it will be a weekend with challenges to stay compliant: dinner out tonight and tomorrow night, breakfast out Sunday morning. But I am taking time to pre-screen menus and plan out what I can safely eat.

I think what I'm realizing is that I won't be able to say at the end of this that I was 100% Whole30 compliant... but I think 95% compliant will be realistic. I am not making major cheats: I'm just not stressing if I take in something off-list when I'm not the one preparing the meal. What I am achieving is a healthy balance that I can maintain once this challenge has ended. And since my goal is long-term, I think that's even better.