Whole30 Accountability Blog

Well, I finished the 30 days.  I wasn't perfect but I finished.  I know for sure that I was tripped up with sugar in a spice mix I was using in the first part of the challenge.  I also have a feeling that a meal at a restaurant had some sugar or maple flavoring somewhere.  And my exercise routine really sucked which I felt was a missed opportunity.  But I will take having a high percentage of diet compliance for the 30 days as a victory which was rewarded with ice cream.   I wrote enough about what I learned, challenges, weight changes, various thoughts, etc..  I just want to say thanks to Craig for sharing the Whole 30 with me, thanks to everyone for doing it as a group, and to loop me in on future challenges.  This was an impactful event for me and I like the idea of doing this routinely while maintaining a fairly compliant lifestyle.

With 3 days to go, I'm surprised at how hard the last 2 days have been.  It feels like day 7 - 12 as far as how much I want to just stop.  It shouldn't surprise me because I know the voice I keep hearing that says "you've gone far enough".  I think this is how I'm wired because the same thing happens to me when I get close to a goal and like clockwork, the internal argument starts up.  Sometimes I give up and sometimes I finish driven by anger or irritation.  Having quit more than I care to admit I know how bad it feels to be so close and to give up.  I also know how good it feels to cross the finish line.  At this point, I'm easting an average of 3 servings of veggies to 1 meat protein, I'm sleeping like a teenager, and I dropped a few pounds.  Foodwise I'm looking forward to ice cream and popcorn.  I don't really miss cheese, bread or pasta, but Hot Chicken Takeove r with white bread sounds like heaven. 

I can hardly believe day 20 is here.  In some ways it seems like it should be day 2, in other ways like it should be day 200.  The good news I finally noticed a health change.  I have had crazy allergies for a long long time to the point that I would way up at nights to blow my nose because I couldn't breathe.  Most often I would wake up because my wife would wake me for snoring.  My nasal passages are clear as can be right now when I sleep.  Maybe not completely dry but certainly not clogged and certainly not resulting in snoring or waking up.  I'm really stunned by that simple fact. As for what I've learned is that I have more willpower than I thought.  I will get a craving from time to time but on the craving scale it is about a 2 now and passes as soon as I say no.  For example, I carried cracker jacks and cookies around for 2 days from a workshop, so I could bring them to my daughter as a special treat, didn't bother me at all....