The Whole30: Let's Make A Change

Alright. I know that if I don't say it here, and commit myself in some way, it won't happen. So here it goes: Starting tomorrow, August 19th, I will be doing the Whole30. If you've never heard of it, take a peek over here to see what the heck I'm talking about.

My decision to do this comes from my recent feeling about my health & body. After taking over the shop, my diet and my thoughts around eating were pushed aside. I've been drinking too much coffee, eating out more than I should, and generally just not taking care of myself in the way that I know I can. My weight has gone up, and despite never stepping on a scale in recent months, I know that my clothing is more snug and my energy levels are dropping.

It's time to change some things up.

I know I can eat well. I know I feed my daughter better than I feed myself, and I need to make the time to reconcile these differences. When my daughter is in daycare, she eats lunch/dinner away from home, and I eat poorly while at the shop. I'll just admit that. I shouldn't be living off coffee & restaurants during the week, and eating well on the weekend. It's not good for my body, my mind, or my finances. Since I'm at the shop about 50 hours a week, I haven't been cooking the way I used to. Due to our current schedule, Gretchen and I have breakfast together at home, but I often eat nothing as I get ready, or just sip coffee. I'm not always hungry in the morning, but I know I won't have that mid-morning crash if I eat something fantastically nutritious when I wake up. Gretchen likes fruit & toast, or cereal w/ soymilk, or smoothies, or eggs in the morning. At this time she lunches/dinners at daycare, which means that I either eat nothing for dinner, or I snack sometime after she's in bed, usually around 9pm, which also doesn't make for a happy belly. Starting in September, I've made the decision to start Gretchen at a new daycare (for one last year), a daycare which meshes better with my parenting philosophy. It's been a difficult choice, but I wasn't feeling completely at ease with the current situation and so I've made a change.

Just as I'll make a change with how I eat.

This will also mean that after September begins, my little one and I will be having dinner together more ofte. This makes me a VERY happy mama. It'll be great to be cooking again. I've missed it. The slow cooker is coming back out & meal-planning will once again be a part of my life. Thankfully, the little miss LOVES coming grocery shopping with me. She's such a helper.

Now, thinking about the Whole30 brings a few things to mind: What I anticipate will be easy and what I believe will be a challenge. So here we go:

The Easy Bits:

• I am NOT a picky eater. Veggies, fruits, meats, whatever you give me, I'll at least try it and probably I'll like it. Gretchen is this way too. I just don't believe in being a picky eater. Healthy food always tastes good to me, so there's no excuse not to eat that way.
• I WANT to do this. No one is making me. And it's the sort of thing you have to want to want. 

The Tricky Bits:

• I like my coffee with cream & sugar. Yup. And that's a big no-no. So if I really want it, it'll be black. Just like when I was vegan.
• I like my stout. I enjoy a bottle of stout at the end of a long day, but for the next 30 days, I won't be touching it.
• I'm a carb junkie. It's a fact. I adore bread and pasta and all of their glutentastic friends.

However. If you've ever met me, you know how stubborn I can be. Which means I'm going to kick this program's ass and I hope you'll ALL hold me accountable. Send me tweets to check in, pester me on Facebook, email me, shout it from a rooftop. Because I'm doing this. And I'm not going to let myself down.

Have any of you made a big change in your eating habits lately? Have you ever done the Whole30? Adivce, tips, stories, ideas? I'd love to hear about your experiences. Feel free to link blog posts if you've chatted about this on your own sites. I'm eager to get started and to jump right in!

August 19th. Day one. A big change. 

I can do this.

PS. Thank you to bloggers like Nicole who have really given me that push I need to do this. Reading your stories has filled me up with motivation and a craving for change. Thank you.