Quick Whole 7 before Christmas

[TJHigh]

Is there such a thing as a Whole 7? I guess there is for me! I completed my first Whole30 from mid September to mid October and it was incredibly successful- literally exactly what I needed to recover from two successive injuries that had led to an approximately 20 lb gain over two years. My latest injury- a dislocated kneecap that caused a ligament tear that needed to heal is what led me to starting Whole 30. I was under a doctor's care and had a sonogram monitoring the tear before and after starting.  Spoiler alert- the tear finally healed in that month and the doc said it was some of the most impressive progress he'd seen. I went from likely needing a series of 6 shots of prolotherapy to just 2, and 2 months later I'm running again for the first time in over 2 years. An equally positive result? I lost 15 of the 20 lbs I'd gained.

After completing that Whole 30, I was obviously a believer, and my reintroduction went just as well. It was another month before I had sugar again, and I ate Whole 30 compliant the majority of the time. I was approaching my goal weight and just cruising.  Then last week happened- polar vortex, darkness, and a few days home from work.  I did not eat well, to say the least, and was completely non-compliant for about a week. Enough time to gain back about 3 lbs and to have a startling realization of how quickly I could slip back.

So. I don't have time for a full Whole 30 before Christmas and then an overseas trip for a wedding, but I have a week. So yesterday I reread It Starts With Food, and refreshed my memory on why food is important and how it completely dictates our health. I'm dusting off a few of my favorite Whole 30 recipes and giving myself a tune-up week equal to my slip up week.  Then I'll see if I ease back into the groove I established after my first Whole 30, or if I want to complete another full round. Either way, a Whole 7 feels like the right fit for me now, and I'm already feeling better after my first day and a half back.