Whole 30 the 2nd

Since doing Whole 30ish last September, I've been wanting to do it again, this time for 30 whole days.  I considered January but was still in festive mode when the 1st rolled around.... and the 2nd... and the 3rd...  Then, February drew near and I knew that wouldn't work.  It has 28 days and I'm a fussy-pants particular about such things.  Finally, I decided to use the period of Lent beginning February 13 to do a whole round of Whole 30 - not for Lent but during Lent.  I'll start with the ending: my litmus jeans:

  Nice to fit you again, Litmus Jeans!

Worn with my ambiguous animal tee and Sperry's from VV Boutique,

Belt, black cardi and accessories from my closet.

Like last time, I was pleased to slip these on with ease at the end of 30 days.  Like last time, my post-partum muffin top did not miraculously disappear but I felt great and I am happy with my body.  But watch out if they ever have a Canada's Top Model Almost 40 Had Three Babies edition.  For the 2nd round however, I had a presenting complaint and I started with the hypothesis that Whole 30 might reduce that complaint.  You see, I was having some niggling back and hip pain - enough that I've been seeing physio and modifying my movements. In other words, I'm feeling my age!

Here's what I ate most of the time: I made a yummy cashew and date butter and had that with fruit for breakfast.  For lunch I ate eggs, avocado and veggies of some sort or a tuna/veggie salad.  After extensive searching, I found balsamic vinegar without sulfates and had that with olive oil for dressing.  For supper I ate meat and veggies of some kind (sounds boring but really there are endless variations).  And for snacks I had nuts, dates (natures gummy candy, I told myself) and dried fruit.  Now, I know Whole 30 recommends limited dried fruit but seriously, I followed the plan without fail.  Don't deny me my dates.

I had no troubles feeding my family and accommodating my whole foods; I subbed out their pasta and had spinach, or just had a huge helping of everything else.  Insert big smiley.  Whole foods are more expensive, but not eating out for a month evened out the budget.

Two things saved my life this time: unsweetened almond milk in my coffee (at the suggestion of Grit and Glamour, my Whole 30 mentor) and Stash Licorice Spice tea.  That became my nightly ritual - no sugar, no caffeine and it doesn't taste like flowers. 

Now you're going to want to sit down for the next piece of information.  I started something else during Whole 30; I started exercising.  My hip felt a bit better, maybe, but I couldn't deny that what I really need to do is get stronger.  I need to be able to move this body with ease for the next few decades and that won't happen unless I, well, move this body.

My 30 days of whole foods wrapped up last Thursday just before leaving for my retreat and rest.  I tried to take it easy on the sugar and grains for the sake of my roomies, and found it a little easier than last time.  In fact, I found the whole thing easier than last time and I suspect that this is the trend: the more often you do it, the easier it gets. 

Since Thursday, I've thought to myself: "I will just do Whole 30 days when I can, blah blah blah."  That's not happening.  I will be more successful if I make one decision to do Whole 30 than if I face a decision at every meal and snack whether to eat whole foods.  My abstainer personality means that I just have to do the whole Whole 30 when I do it and make the best choices possible when I'm not.  I will never again just eat grains and dairy willy nilly; I will always have increased awareness of what makes me feel best.  Today I ate some KD then fell into a coma; I made cookies for a kind neighbour and felt heavy in my gut like I ate some bricks for a snack.  I simply feel better on whole foods.  But.  I do not have the discipline to maintain that diet without fail on an everyday basis.  So.   

I'm going to do my best, and that will be enough.  

I am thinking how to work in working out in my real life.  I am thinking that I will honour the organic flow of my life and resist planning when to do Whole 30 again and just trust that the right time will come.  This is no longer about getting back into clothes, this is about going forward and staying forward.  Just like my VV Boutique adventure, this is about being a good steward of my blessings, going forth with a good attitude.

I was so busy thinking, that I almost missed it.  That hip pain?  Haven't felt it the past few days...