I am not sucking at life

No, I'm not. I'm drinking coffee with creamer. It's not the best tasting creamer I've ever had, but it has natural ingredients. And I'm not blending my coffee with coconut milk and cinnamon in my Magic Bullet. Why am I telling you this? Because yesterday was my last day on The Whole 30.

If you know not what the Whole 30 is, visit the link above. If you're sluggish all the time, want to change your relationship with food, want to look younger, want to sleep better, want to lose a little weight, you might want to give it a try.

How I feel after having done the Whole 30...

Food: Food and I are friends again. For awhile we had this weird relationship, It was mostly good,

sometimes I cheated on it. Sometimes I ignored it altogether. Other times my love for it was so intense I had to have it all. Also, I found myself having a quickie for dinner way too often.

Now I eat every meal, 3 a day. Sometimes I have a snack in between lunch and dinner, or after dinner if my stomach is a little grumbly. I'm cooking again. Sometimes I still need the quickie, but instead of turning to my longtime friend, Popcorn, I'll grab leftover meat (I always make enough to have leftovers) cook up some sweet potatoes and throw a salad together. Okay, it's not the 2 minute meal I've grown accustomed to, it's more like 30 minutes, but it's healthier, it's delicious and it treats my body good. I think I can handle an extra 28 minutes for that.

I buy most everything fresh except my coconut milk. I don't mind reading labels now, but if I buy fresh, I don't have to. I'm getting my fill of veggies and fruit, which I'd been neglecting for a while. I'm eating all good fats, almonds, ghee, avocado, olive oil. No more butter or margarine.

Alcohol: Alcohol and I used to be tight. You see, with me, alcohol is that friend that pesters you into hanging out until you cave. I mean, you love it, it's that friend you can lean on when you've had a hard day, or been given some bad new. Sometimes you'd just like to say no, but it always seems to be hanging around. Sometimes it overstays its welcome. I put alcohol in it's place. I made it go away until I'm ready to be friends again. Do I miss it sometimes when it's not around? Sure. But I'm confident that when we become friends again, I'll just see it socially and not be so dependent on it all the time.  Besides, I have a new friend that treats me better - sparkling water.

Sleep: A few years ago, sleep decided it didn't want to be friends with me anymore. I mean, it came around from time to time, but not as much as I wanted it too. Sleep and I have improved our relationship. Now it comes around every night and stays until morning. It usually leaves early, but I'm okay with that. Usually I've had enough to the point that I feel good and am ready to face the day.

Weight: My relationship with weight has been a rollercoaster ride in the past. Lately however, it's like I'm stuck at the top of the hill and no matter what I try, I can't get down. The Whole 30 helped me get down the hill. Just a little hill, but I'm hoping to get down a bigger hill soon enough until I can get off the ride for good. I don't think I'll share how much weight I've lost since the program isn't about that, it's about everything else. I'll just say, I look better and my clothes fit better. If I'd exercised more (I do, but I need to step it up) I'd probably have lost more. I actually had the meat guy at the grocery store flirt with me yesterday. It's been awhile since someone flirted with me.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: I've never liked CFS. Our relationship is parasitic. CFS is the friend who is always complaining and always miserable and after you've been with them for a while you just want to crawl into a hole and die. This relationship has also improved. Am I cured? No. But I get through the day without a nap (which is BIG for me). My energy level is higher during that time and I'm more productive than I have been in a long time. It still hits in the early evening though, 7 or 8 o'clock. But I'm okay with this because it's better and I can just crawl in bed with my phone or a book or my computer to watch Netflix.

What comes next?

Happy Hour. That's right, tonight I celebrate this achievement because to me, it's big. Don't worry, happy hour is not going to get me back into my old habits. I like the way I feel, I like the way I look, I like the way I eat. I will keep eating this way for the most part. I don't miss cheese or really any dairy (except my coffee creamer) for that matter. I'm not missing grains. I may have a glass of wine or a drink from time to time. And hey, I'll probably eat some popcorn, but not as much as I did at one sitting and not for dinner.

What am I hoping to gain from all this?

I'm hoping to shed a few more pounds. I'm hoping to have the energy to get to the gym regularly. I'm hoping to get another book published. I'm hoping to be more productive around the house and in the yard. I'm hoping I can be there for my kids and my parents when they need me.

I'm hoping this lasts a lifetime because I feel and look better than I have in years.

The Whole 30: Day 3

I made it this far, but I feel like I can't see straight and that I got hit by a bus. So there's that. I'll
explain that in a bit.

The Whole 30. I didn't really explain it much yesterday, just that I was doing it and why. These are the basics. It's about taking foods out of your diet that have a negative impact on your well being. I'm just going to give you the skinny today. For in-depth commentary, you'll have to visit The Whole 30 website.

1. Don't eat sugar of any kind, real or artificial.
2. No alcohol in any form, even for cooking.
3. Do not eat grains.
4. Do not eat legumes.
5. Do not eat dairy.
6. Do not consume carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites.
7. Do not try to recreate baked goods, junk foods, or treats with The Whole 30 approved foods. That defeats the purpose.(There are a few exceptions, like you can use fruit juice but you can't drink it, you can only use it to sweeten things. You can use ghee or clarified butter. If you're on your death bed you can consume medication with alcohol in it, though they would want you to try to find a natural remedy first. Others you'll find at their website)
8. You are not allowed to step on a scale or take measurements during The Whole 30. Yes. Do it before.
9. You have to do it and be faithful to it for 30 days. If you go off, you start over.

Then there are the first few days. I'm on day 3 and I'm about to explain about my first sentence in this blog.

Day 1: What's the big deal? You're feeling satisfied, it isn't hard. It's a piece of cake. You tell everyone you know about it.
Day 2 & 3: The Hangover. Yes, this is where I am. The pre-Whole 30 food bender of pizza, wine, nachos, margaritas and whatnot is hitting you where it hurts. The amount of bad you feel is proportionate to the amount of bad you ate prior to The Whole 30. Expect headaches, fatigue, and malaise, but don't give up. I took a 2 hours nap and I'm still tired. Drink some water and get through it.
Day 4 & 5: Kill All the Things: For some reason, I'm looking forward to this day. (JK) You are
overcome with the desire to punch people in the face. They have no idea why this happens, but it does. Just warn people in advance and ask forgiveness when it's over. Don't give up.
Day 6 & 7: I Just Want to Nap.  Your body is learning not to rely on those easy access energy sources like sugar and grains. Don't worry, it will learn how to give you fuel in other ways, so don't give up.

Day 8 & 9: For the Love of Gosling, My Pants Are Tighter! The process is still working, your digestion is adjusting. As your body processes this food effectively, you could experience, um, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea. Really, this phase passes quickly, so still, don't give up.
Day 10 & 11: The Hardest Days. Uh, yeah, you thought those previous 9 days were bad, I guess it's going to get worse. You'll get frustrated that the program isn't working it's "magic" yet. You're still establishing your meal routine, you'll start noticing the food you can't have, you'll see what hold food had on you. Find a way to reward yourself that doesn't include food. Yeah, you're intolerable right now, but you're closer. Don't give up.

That's all I'm going to give you. For the rest, visit this page: The Whole 30 Timeline.

So, I was going to mow my law today because I'm sure my neighbors hate me, but I'm not sure I have the energy. I think I'll try anyway.

So yesterday, this is what I ate:

Breakfast
Pork sausage patty
Mushrooms and onions
Banana

Lunch
Chicken thigh
Green salad with tomato, avocado and mushrooms
Topped with Tessamae's Lemon Garlic dressing ( only brand of dressing that's Whole 30 approved, I found it at my local store, but they also have a website. They will also tell you which of their products are Whole 30 approved)
Grapes
I tried Kombucha, but it tasted like butt, so I gave up.

Dinner
Balsamic drizzled pan-seared London Broil (OMG I got it on the "old meat" rack. It was cheap)
Roasted sweet potato wedges
Small spinach salad with tomatoes and strawberries
Topped with Tessamae's Balsamic dressing

I also get tired of drinking plain water. Sometimes I drink water with lemon, but that still gets boring. Yesterday I did this thing to the left here. I added strawberries. It was better. THEN I find out AFTER I sip the liquid of ass Kobucha (and if you see how they make it, you'll see why it tastes like ass) I find out that LaCroix bubbly goodness in every flavor is Whole 30 approved. WTF?!?

Sigh.

Going back to the store today to get some and going to try some of their Mocktails Most of them include fruit juice. Just squeeze fresh fruit into your water or use frozen or fresh fruit instead of the fruit juice.

Until tomorrow when I'll feel like KILLING ALL THE THINGS! Which really isn't so different from a normal day for me.