Yesterday I bit the bullet and started my Whole30 challenge. Why do I say it like that? Because I was going to wait until I got the book, even though I had the majority of the resources right here on the internet. So rather than putting it off, I decided I would commit to it. I can do anything for 30 days, right?
For those of you that are unfamiliar, it is 30 days of eating whole, real food. This is something I have been talking about doing for years. My parents and I have been talking about how we really just don’t know what they are putting in the boxed foods and honestly, we would be so much healthier just going “back to the basics”. That’s what I called it. So I am going back to the basics. I have done reset programs before, so this is actually (so far) not too difficult for me. I have given up sugar for months on end, have gone without bread or wheat at the same time. So I know that I can do it. And I know that I feel much better eating that way. The two things I have never given up, nor tried to give up before are legumes and dairy. I don’t really care too much about the legumes, although I am discovering the soy is in EVERYTHING! Geez! Did you know that there is soy in tuna fish? I looked at every brand of tuna at the store and they all have soy in them! Ridiculous. Anyway, I can go without peanut butter, hummus, and all that stuff. It was never a real “staple” in my diet. However dairy, that’s a tough one. I love cheese. All the other stuff doesn’t matter too much, I can go without milk. But take away my cheese? It’s on, man! But I can do it. I just have to avoid eating things that I would naturally put cheese on, or in. This means eating eggs hard boiled or over easy rather than scrambled or an omelet. I can’t imagine eating them that way without cheese….
Anyway, so far I am finding that I am completely satisfied. I make sure I am getting tons of veggies, a few servings of fruits, and my proteins. I have been keeping track of my calories because when I eat real food I tend to not eat enough. This keeps me from going under, not too worried about going over in calories. Case in point, at the end of my dinner yesterday I had consumed barely 1,000 calories for the day. I had to figure out a healthy way to make sure I got at least 1200.
Against my better judgement, I made mention of what I was doing to my husband. This sounds kind of weird, but I just didn’t want to hear any of his criticism that he has for eating healthy. His idea of healthy is everything in moderation. He says this when he wants to be able to eat whatever he wants. He can eat two Oreos and walk away. I would eat four, and then two more, and then one more…you get the idea. Moderation doesn’t always work for me. I tend to go overboard. I figured I needed to tell him though, so he could be supportive when I needed it. When I told him that one of the things I was giving up was dairy, his response was…well he was unsure. He looked at me and said “30 days? You’re going to go 30 days without any cheese or milk? Isn’t there a shorter amount of time? I don’t know if you can do that.” Thanks for the support honey. I appreciate it. Of course it makes me want to prove him wrong. So I am halfway through Day 2, feeling pretty good about all of this. I still look forward to actually getting and reading the book so that I have more information. Have to head to the store to stock up on more veggies and nuts for snacks. I am pretty excited about it. I even cleaned out our pantry yesterday:
Pantry After
- Pantry Before
This was to help me not eat garbage, but it also made me realize how much garbage the kids are eating. So I arranged it so they have full access to the fruits and veggies. They have access to all healthy snacks, whenever they want. I want them to have a good relationship with food. I want them to crave the healthy food. Last night Neika (my oldest) actually asked for seconds on the chicken…now if only I could get her to eat sweet potatoes! One thing at a time, right? It’s going to be a process, getting them to like and choose good food. But I am up for the challenge!
