Whole30: The First 15 days

Today is Day 15 on Whole30 and I can't even believe we (Nick included) have already made it this far. Although the Whole30 timeline is pretty on point with what you will experience throughout the 30 days, I thought I would share my own experience.  However, if you are remotely interested in ever doing Whole30, buy the book "It Starts with Food" and stalk their website. Both will help tremendously.

Day 1 and 2 = a piece of cake for us. I missed my coffee creamer, Nick already wanted pizza, but we were happy and full. We were excited and so naive ;)

Day 3 and 4 = stomach pains/nausea for me, headaches and fatigue for Nick. This is when we realized how much crap we were putting into the our bodies before. Like I said before, we eat fairly healthy but weren't afraid of dairy/alcohol/sugar/processed foods. We also started getting pretty grouchy, but we knew this is what we needed to do (and by we, I mean me. Nick is only doing this to support me, more on that later).

Day 5 and 6 = Cravings galore and a bit of grouchiness. It was our first weekend of no alcohol or delicious food, so we spent majority of our time talking about how great a pizza or chocolate chip cookie would be and watching movies ;) I also started having crazy dreams about accidentally eating Whole30 foods that aren't compliant! I read in the book that this may happen but I didn't believe it would happen to me. Sure enough, it did. And it happens almost every night.

Exchanging my wine, for Kombucha

Day 7-10 = Nothing special to note. Everything started feeling like routine, stomach pain was gone. Cravings were NOT gone but it just felt easier. Taste buds already starting to change..can't stand the taste of mustard or Franks hot sauce anymore.

Completely compliant meal. My kind of challenge.

 Day 11 - 12 = HARD. And it hit like a ton of bricks. I was tired. No energy. I was over the whole thing. This is when most people quit, and I'm so glad we pushed through.

Day 13 - 15 = Energy levels are high! I wake up in the morning feeling SO rested and ready to go. My clothes are fitting looser, my skin is clearer, my hair is softer, and saying 'No' to foods has been much easier. NOW I know why people change to either a 100% or 80/20 whole foods lifestyle. Yes, I still want a chocolate chip cookie (some say that this will eventually go away, I'm doubtful), but I finally seeing the benefits of eating this way.

Spiritually, this has been 15 days of stretching and growing. It sounds absolutely insane, but I've had to look at a food and say "God I love you more than that food" and then NOT eat it (Note: I feel so ashamed that 'resisting food' is so difficult. It's embarrassing and weak. But its the reality. And I am so grateful to know a God who  makes beauty out of my mess.) The main purpose of this challenge for me is to grow in my obedience towards Christ. I don't want to be a weak woman, even when it comes down to making decisions on what to eat. I want to be a woman who seeks first his Kingdom and righteousness above anything else. Whole30 is allowing me to put God on the pedestal in my life where he belongs, and daily practice giving things up in obedience to Him (Some could say Whole30 is a fast and I would agree). Yes, I'll lose weight. Yes, I'm sleeping better and feeling like a million bucks as I type this. But I see all of those things as a 'plus'.