Whole30 Homestretch

Today began my last seven days on the Whole30 experiment and I am very excited to have gotten this far without straying from the plan.  It has been 23 days since I have had a Diet Coke or sugar or artificial sweetener..........................I had to allow that to sink in for a moment.  I can't remember the last time I went 23 days with that sweet nectar.  Do I still miss it?  Yes and no.  I miss the sweet burn I get when I swallow my first gulp, and I miss the deliciousness of a 20oz with a bit of mushy ice in the top of the bottle, but I don't miss the stains it leaves on my teeth, or the craving it gives me for something sweeter, or the guilt I feel after consuming a six pack in one day.  To be honest, I actually enjoy drinking the water.  I drink it plain at work, infused at home, and with lemon in restaurants, and I am never away from it.  My favorite is sparkling waster or club soda with fruit and herbs thrown in.  I love my muddler!  I look forward to pouring a glass of sparkling water that is so infused with strawberries that the water is a beautiful dark pink color.  Will I drink a DC when this is over?  Maybe, but I certainly won't run to the vending machine for one.  I sort of like having that extra change in my wallet, and I feel much better shelling out $1.50 for a bottle of S.Pellegrino than I do for a 2 liter of Diet Coke.  I am sure, however, that when we get to the beach for vacation, and I have a big juicy cheeseburger with fries (maybe), I will want to wash it down with a cold Diet Coke.  Perhaps.

I will admit to missing whole food groups while on this adventure, although I will also admit that my cravings for specific foods have diminished considerably.  Last night was a real test to this because we had book club at a friend's house, and because I don't like to impose my food preferences or dietary needs onto anyone else, I had no idea what to expect when I got there.  As insurance, I ate a Whole30 approved Larabar just in case there was nothing I could eat.  I was pleasantly surprised to find fruit, olives, nuts, and guacamole, so I ate those things, and only a couple of times cursed the Whole30 for not allowing me to have the beautiful quesadillas, the crackers, the pasta salad,  the brie with honey, and the little dessert choices at the end.  It was tough, but luckily we had great conversation along with the items I could eat, and I left feeling no guilt and very little remorse for passing up those other wonderful things.

Have I lost weight?  I have no idea, although I would say that I may have dropped 10 pounds and a few inches, based on how my clothes feel, and the differences in before/now pictures I have taken.  I have had no indication from anyone else that I look better or that I may have lost weight, and that is always discouraging, although my weight fluctuates between obese and more obese, so I can't blame anyone from noticing.  My daughter, however, has been super supportive and swears to me that she can tell, and since I have never known her to intentionally lie to me without a tearful confession later, I am taking her at her word.  My skin is clearer, my hair is shinier, and I no longer feel like crashing every day at 3:00, so those are all good signs.  I am sleeping better, although I still have vivid dreams that interrupt my sleep, which is nothing Whole30 can cure, and I am doing better with my bike rides, feeling that I can ride longer distances without keeling over.

Has this Whole30 been worth it?  ABSOLUTELY!!!!  Am I glad it is almost over?  YOU BET!!

I am still in the process of planning what will happen diet wise when I complete this first round, and I say first round, because I intend to to it at least one more time with Kira.  I will have 19 days between the end of round 1 and the beginning of round 2, and I do not plan to undo all the hard work I have put into this, so I will need some pretty concrete plans.

I have 7 days to figure out what those plans will be.

Since I have become a water convert, my picture for this blog is about its wonderfulness.