Whole 30 - Cycle 2!

[tangerine]

Starting my second Whole 30 today! Psyched and excited.  Did my early morning laps at the pool, had a good breakfast and now have my grocery list of Whole 30-compliant foods and menu for the week. 

 

My first Whole 30 earlier this year was full of learning moments, ups and downs,  but it was definitely a worthy undertaking. After that month, I took a 3 week trip to Southeast Asia --- lots of fresh, flavorful food choices such as seafood, meats, tropical fruits and vegetable dishes as well as amazing herbs and spices in Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. But well, not always Whole 30 compliant! ( Read: lots of white rice to go with the coconut milk curries! Also certain there was a fair amount of cane sugar in some of those syrupy,rice-cake desserts; seed/grain oils used for frying and soy sauce in quite a few dishes. Oh well.) I didn't sweat it too much, enjoyed myself and  I came back from the trip recently feeling pretty happy.But I'm ready to press the re-set button, eat clean and feel tip-top again. 

 

I also still have a year-end goal of permanently going off certain anti-diabetes meds. And while I fully realize that the Whole 30 is not just a "diet" for  weight loss, I recognize that eating this way is a valid means to achieving overall health --- and hopefully achieving the goal of losing the last of my excess weight (after losing 45 lbs last  year on a traditional "low carb" diet, I am 10-12 lbs away from  "normal range" for my height and bone structure). So here's to getting there --- eventually! --- as I journey along.

 

The good thing about doing this for the 2nd time? I don't have any of those fears from the first time about being able to "last" the 30 days, looking at the looming 4 weeks ahead with a mixture of dread and self-doubt. Eating clean with no slip-ups and committing so that there were no "cheat days" seemed insurmountable at the time. But I know for a fact now that it's doable because -- well, I did it ! I also kept a record of small daily "victories" last time, which will be useful to remind me of how great I felt  progressively through process, what I learned, the tweaks in attitude that I had to take on and the positive changes I made for myself in general. 

 

So here's to Cycle 2, and hopefully, success!