ever after emery

Whole30: Day 28

I've been fairly good about posting some shots of our daily dinners during Whole30 on my Instagram stories, but I haven't actually posted any updates here.

To start off with, for me, there was no stopping. I set my mind to the fact that I was going to complete the 30 days in their entirety, and there was never an option to deter from that goal. Second, Cassidy participated with me, and even though in the past he's done most of the cooking, this was a fun opportunity for us to get in the kitchen more together. He is a self-proclaimed picky eater, and I was formerly a vegetarian for eight years, so I knew a little more about whipping up those veggies, but that left him to conquer the meats. And oh, did he conquer them.

My other huge support through this (outside of dear Lord Jesus, thank you Jesus) was my sister, who decided to give Whole30 a shot a couple days ahead of when we started. It was so nice being able to text back and forth, call each other up, and draw inspiration from one another as we have endured this time. At this point, honestly both of us are considering going longer. Well, she's already decided she's for sure doing a Whole60 at least, but I'm still considering my options.

I wish I had actually done a better job of keeping a log throughout (or taking quality photos), but here are some of my reflections as we near the end:

They say that how you feel the first couple days depends on how terribly you ate previous to Whole30, how much you indulged as a last hurrah before you actually set sail, etc. I definitely binged prior to beginning, but I wasn't terrible. I also have a gluten-sensitivity, so that eliminates a lot of carbs and horrible things for me to eat on a regular basis. I do think that my normal diet allowed for me to not HATE the first couple days. Was it hard? Yes. Was it unbearable? No. The Whole30 site gives a timeline of "normal" feelings over the course of the 30 days, but also with the caveat that there is no such thing as a "normal Whole30." I really feel like by the grace of Jesus I sort of breezed through days 1-10.

Then Day 10 hit.

When people talk about how sugar is an addiction, I'm all yeah, yeah... but I eat pretty healthy with my sugar. I don't need sugar, I just enjoy sugar...

Oh the sugar Day 10 temper tantrums. When I tell you my body was uncomfortable, I mean my skin was crawling, I was antsy, and I felt like I could claw at the walls on Day 10. I literally went through a full sugar withdrawal. What was crazy though, is going back to what I said about there being no option for not following through, I feel like the Holy Spirit touched me so I didn't actually crave the sugar, I just knew it was the reason my body was reacting the way it was. Early to bed on Day 10!

Once I got through this on Days 10-11, as projected, I started to come around and settle into a groove.

I did begin to have some more cravings. Oddly enough, right now I am probably looking forward to some Chick-fil-a waffle fries smothered in Chick-fil-a sauce more than anything else. Is that what I thought I would be craving? Absolutely not. Ice cream? Cheese? Nope. Gimme dem fries, please. I also totally have a hankering for Shake Shack, but given I live 4 hours away from the closest one... Chick-fil-a seems more realistic. Oh, and Thai food. I really want some pad Thai and Masaman Curry. Lord Jesus. (Oddly enough the curry was my second to last meal.)

I'm sorry, is this Shake Shack image from when we were in NYC not helping anyone?!

While all of these things still sound delicious, I'm good. My tummy feels flat. I don't really get hungry as long as I take care of myself. As much as I enjoyed fruit previously, I have a new found love for raspberries and blackberries. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. I feel like because I'm not having tons of processed sugars in things I don't even realize, I can appreciate and taste their flavor so much more richly. I can go hours without food even crossing my mind. I can enjoy life without being chained to "oh, I can't wait to have that later." Trust me, I'm probably enjoying food even more, but I'm not consumed by it, and I feel like I view it with such a healthier perspective, although there is totally still room to grow.

Whole30 tells you not to weigh yourself during the course. I hid our scale over in our guest bathroom and while I have still been tempted by it, I haven't touched it. I've celebrated non-scale victories like wearing pants that haven't fit me for awhile. I can definitely tell I am less bloated and not holding salt. I'm sleeping so much better. The integrity of my skin is brighter and more fresh. I can't really explain it when people ask how I feel other than I just feel good.

When I figured out that I had a gluten sensitivity and I first cut it out altogether, I kept saying I didn't realize how bad I felt until I felt good. And that is most certainly what Whole30 has done for me.

At this point we have two days left. I really haven't decided if I will begin the re-introductory period. (You're supposed to gradually re-introduce foods one at a time following your 30 day cleanse so you can identify how specific types of foods affect your body and how. I'm really curious to see my reaction to dairy and corn.) I'm considering either continuing on, or just adding in natural sugars like maple syrup and honey and carrying on with a "relaxed Whole30"/Paleo lifestyle.

But then I think about Starbucks and their magical sugary creamy specialty drinks. Another thing I've really been missing. I drank black coffee for 16 out of 17 days straight, and while I warmed up to it a little bit, I decided if I'm having to work this hard at acquiring a taste, maybe I just will later return to the style of coffee I really enjoy, and not stain my teeth every day trying to get to a black coffee life I don't even need to lead. But since I gave it up on Day 17, I've had it black again yesterday and today, and I'm enjoying it a lot more.

So, here we are. Next up I will share some of our unbeatable products and hacks, because that seems to be what has really been intriguing folks on my stories. Cheers to Day 28!

It's a snow day! Or a totally-planned-holiday-but-I-have-the-day-off-and-it-happens-to-be-snowing day, so...

It has been super fun getting to experience our house in the snow + winter for the first time, and while I don't necessarily love cold weather, my philosophy has always been if it's going to be cold, there might as well be pretty snow! And I think this is way better than yucky brown gray Indiana weather, but a printed sweater coat + a bold lip certainly doesn't hurt.

We've been doing Whole30 [day 9], and if you've been following along on Instagram [mostly on my stories], I'm feeling pretty good! We've been enjoying changing up our routine, and maybe even forming more of a routine to be honest, as well as trying out some new recipes and products. I received several responses to my Tessamae's stories, and I've been told you can find them at Fresh Thyme [where we picked them up] or Meijer. So far we have loved them, and they have brought a little interest into otherwise dull raw veggie games.

I'll probably do some recaps + insights from Whole30 at some point, but if you have any recipes or tips, I would love to hear them in the comments below!

six more weeks of winter

whole30 update

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snow daze

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