According to my Whole30 journal, I’m doing alright! A few days were absolutely awful and I had to lose all of my energy before slowly gaining it back, but at least the food has been wonderful!

Without the journal, I would have no clue why I was feeling so up and down all week. The TIP, Motivation, and FAQ sections are all very helpful. I’ve tried to be thorough with the guided self-reflection part, but there were nights when I was too exhausted to write much. They also want you to focus on your Non-Scale Victories or NSVs. And mine have mostly just been kitchen successes until today when I tried on a pair of pants that did not fit in December and they felt great!

I have spent way too many hours in the kitchen in the evenings prepping and cooking delicious meals. I am fortunate to be home at a decent hour most nights and my dog is the only one demanding for my attention after work. Making delicious meals and experimenting in the kitchen is what keeps me excited about this diet. If I had less time to prepare, I probably would be less satisfied. Hopefully, I’ll be a kitchen wiz at the end of this and need less time overall! #goals.

The main thing that keeps me going is the hope that I can find some relief for my pain. The journal asks you to rate your Energy, Sleep Quality, and Cravings from 1-10 (1 being the worst), but I added another category titled Aches. While my sleep quality has improved drastically, my aches have only improved slightly.

On day 4, when I was glued to my couch all day, (What a waste of a Saturday!) I spent some time reading blogs from other people’s Whole30 journeys. I found one blog where the mom was having to cook Whole30 meals for 5 people! And it sounded so tough and expensive!! My Whole30 has not been cheap, but I’m experimenting with new recipes almost every day and buying whatever protein my little heart desires. Local shrimp and fish cost more but taste so good!

On day 7, I completely ran out of energy around 1:00 p.m. and went straight to bed after work.  The journal actually asks you to go to bed early on Day 6! But I failed to do so. Apparently, my body was used to running on sugar for fuel and the “fat adaptation” process takes time. My body was stuck in no-man’s land looking for an alternative fuel source: fats! I think it figured things out halfway through day 8 because after eating my delicious curry chicken salad salad for lunch, I felt a burst of energy around noon. The most I’d had in days! It didn’t last forever, but it was definitely helpful while I was trying to get work done!

The Whole30 Day by Day “journal” has been a major help! I cannot stress enough how much you need this book when you first start. If you are anything like me, whose willpower starts to falter after a few hard days, you need this book cheering you on! It also helps you keep track of what you’ve eaten that day in an orderly manner. Therefore, if you have pain related to food, you can look back and see exactly what you’ve consumed every day. I have tried a lot of elimination diets, but I’ve never stuck with anything this strick for more than 10 days. I have been dangling at the end of my pain tolerance rope for a while now and I pray that this Whole30 journey answers some more questions for me.

Today is Day 10, and I am just now feeling like all the junk from December and New Year’s Eve is out of my system! I have much more energy and I actually feel healthy. Below is a picture of me on New Year’s Eve and if you met me and didn’t know my issues, you’d probably say “Why does she need to go on a diet?” and that’s exactly why the Whole30’s message resonates with me. It’s not a “diet” about losing weight. It’s a program about self-discovery, changing bad habits, and reevaluating your relationship with food. I’m already feeling the positive effects of shedding bad habits and forming new, healthier ones. And this is encouraging! If I had a glass of wine right now, I’d cheers to that!