You guys. I don't think I've ever been happier for it to be February 1, and that's really saying something given my historic hatred of January. Throwing a Whole30 and complete cold-turkey caffeine break on top of my least-favorite month was probably a crazy decision, but here we are on the other side and I'm feeling awesome.
Quick stats:
Weight lost: 10lb
Inches lost: 7 (mostly arms and stomach)
Feeling: really good
Missing: the texture of bread, CHEESE ALL THE CHEESE, and alcohol!
Excited for: coffee every morning again, and a week in Miami and Puerto Rico to get all that up in my face again!
So that's the big caveat here: I'm not doing the "slow reintroduction of taboo foods" thing that was recommended by the program, due to a family wedding I leave for tomorrow. Instead, I'll be hitting the beach, the open bar at the reception, and a plethora of restaurants that we're super excited to visit. What's my plan to avoid undoing all the good this January has done?
Two-fold: first, on this vacation, I'm planning to try to stick to as compliant a diet as I can...salads, chicken, and of course all the fresh seafood I can! That said, it's a VACATION and I'm for sure going to chow down some mofongo in Puerto Rico and at least a few delicious cheater-ish meals. As far as alcohol goes, I'm going to have fun and not worry too much about it (while being aware that such a drastic change in my drinking habits probably killed my tolerance...eek!).
In the longer term, I think that following a "Whole30-ish" approach to life is going to be really good for me. I'm not saying I'm going to deny myself everything fun and delicious by any means, only that I'm going to focus on keeping things as whole and healthy as possible at least 80% of the time. I've found a ton of breakfast and lunch options I really love, and it's so easy to make at least 10 of my weekly meals at work Whole30 just by relying on those recipes. Cooking dinners at home has gotten much easier, and is such a better alternative than ordering takeout...eeek, that habit is one I hope stays dead!
I will certainly not be turning down happy hours, brunches, or pre-show dinners/post-show cocktails...but I'm proud of myself for thinking that those events will be pretty much the only place I cheat hard or don't worry about what I'm eating being Whole30. Hopefully this will represent a major turning point in my relationship with food and dieting...and if that's the best thing I take out of this month of mostly-torment, that's a great thing!
