Whole30 Week 1

I am on day 7 of Whole30.  One week in and I feel amazing.

I went to my first Halloween Costume Party and did not drink, eat sweets, or anything.  I had fun.  I wore awesome shoes and a cute costume.  I met people and interacted with them without a drink to shield me from judgement, criticism, or to help me find the extrovert within.  I wasn't even tempted by the brownies, beer or wine (much ;-)).

So week one.  On the 3rd and 4th day I got raging headaches around 1300.  Sugar dragons.  A spoonful of coconut butter slayed the dragon.  I find that when I need to longer than normal between meals . . . . I      Am       Ok.  This is new and special.  My body is learning to use fat stores to burn for energy.

In an effort of full transparency, I do need to say I prepared my body by cutting things out of my diet for 3 weeks before really starting the challenge.  I have been off dairy and grains, other than a visit to upstate NY last weekend, since early October.   I dropped sugar and alcohol for days at a time and practiced going out to dinner without wine (GASP).  Still it was not easy, psychologically, to go to a party where I only knew one person without my magic shield of wine or beer.

My body is responding so well to this diet.  For the 30 days there is no measuring your body on the scale or with a tape measure.  I have as a matter of habit stepped on the scale, so now the scale is out of eyesight and will not lure me to step on.  It's hard because I see visual and performance results and I want to have a numerical value to assign to my progress along the path to fitness.  That said, pounds of iron pressed or pulled is a pretty awesome numerical value to help me through the next 23 days.

Week 2 holds my next big challenge.  A formal military function without a drink and wine provided on the table as part of the dinner.

I think this lifestyle change is the best choice I have ever made for my body, mind and emotional wellness.