I'm *slightly* ashamed to say that we're pulling the plug on the whole 30. Before you think of us as quitters, let me explain why. 

First, it is WAY too expensive for us to maintain thirty days. Based on what we spent week one, we would have nearly doubled our monthly grocery spending by the end. Secondly, I had a really hard time eating meat at every meal (I was never a big meat eater). I tried skipping the meat and just eating fruits, nuts, and veggies, but that just depleted our produce every faster! Funny, I thought the no sugar thing would be my biggest hurdle, but i felt pretty satisfied with eating fruit.  Soooo are we going back to our old ways? Well no, not yet anyways. ;) We're adding some beans, a little dairy, and a moderate amount of healthy grains.

We were not prepared for the whole 30, finically or mentally. I will say though that Ryan held up better than I did! I'm the one who cracked first. I'm going to do my best to keep up the no sugar thing and to strive for no fast food or junk food the rest of the month. I think all those changes combined will be a mass improvement to our typical eating habits anyways. ;) 

Day 1

Well, this sucks. I'm mostly upset with how much food we went through in one day. I don't know how we're going to afford to keep this up. :( What about a Whole 7? Or Whole 14? Maybe? Heh.

I fear the sugar withdrawals are on the way. Don't get me wrong, I REALLY want sugar but luckily the headaches haven't set in yet. After a not-so-tasty dinner (there goes tomorrow's lunch) I found myself daydreaming of a chocolate shake from Steak n Shake. Yep. Still dreaming.

I served my daughter black beans with her dinner, and it just made me so sad and confused as to why they're off limits. I'm really questioning if the Whole 30 is right for us (doubts from the husband don't help). I KNOW that this is probably typical first day thought process, but still... I wonder. I also served a friend some Cheez-Its and did't eat a one. So theres THAT.

The Whole 30

Tomorrow I start MY Whole 30. *Cringe!* Ok, I said it. *Sigh* That means I have to do this, right? Yes. I need a sugar re-set. My dietary choices feel less like choices these days and more like cravings I surrender to. Sound crazy, like an addiction? Yea, sometimes I feel like it is. I can’t remember the last time I went to bed without eating dessert. 

One of the reasons I chose the Whole 30 Challenge is because it not only eliminates  white sugar, but also other forms of sugar like honey, agave, maple syrup, and artificial sweeteners. So there is absolutely no way I can get my sugar fix outside of fruit. There are others foods that I’ll be avoiding as well. Here’s a basic list:

Sugar (YIKES!)

Grains (Difficult for sure)

Corn (Eh, I can live with out it. Oh wait, what about popcorn?!)

Potatoes (Well, at least I can still have sweet potatoes!)

Beans (Really?! How am I suppose to eat bean-less chili or taco salad?!)

Dairy (Sad :( So very sad! Bye bye creamer.)

Alcohol (Since I rarely dink, I don’t foresee that I’ll miss it too much)

{For further information you can check out the Whole 30’s website. http://whole30.com} 

One way I’m going to tackle this daunting task is writing about it. It’s my hope that I can release my cravings on paper and sort of cheer myself on by recounting victories along the way. My husband is doing this with me. I’m SO thankful he is because it’s going to be hard enough preparing meals for my very picky two year old daughter whose currently on a Mac n Cheese kick. ;)

So, what do I hope to get out of this?

Conquer my must-have-dessert-or-someone-is-going-to-get-hurt  attitude.

Increased energy levels (especially in the mornings)

Lose some weight (I’d be lying if I said I didn’t)

Lessen my cravings for junk food and increase my desire for whole foods

Discover some tasty meals that don’t involve dairy or grains (that’s going to be tough!)

Survive 3 birthday parties without cheating. Also, that I would have a good time despite not being able to  partake in all the yumminess.

Just FINISH this challenge! Haha!

So why are we starting now? Why didn’t we start January 1st, like so many others? Well, we had get togethers planned and we didn’t want to miss out…on the food, that is. But, as it turns out, our daughter got sick and our events either got postponed or canceled. So that leaves me to today. We could have started to today, but we wanted to eat doughnuts and yumminess at the Movie Theater. *Hangs head in shame*  Tomorrow is going to be a rude awakening, I’m sure. So theres that. Wish me luck! Better yet, pray for me. :) 

Sarah