30 days before I go!

[sarahstardust]

Hi @Brassfrog! Yes! Day 23! Wooohooo!

My count up on Whole 30 is the same as countdown to India... thanks for well wishes on the trip! It is going to be impossible to stay Whole30'ing... I remember last time I was in India at a vegetarian ashram that after 2 weeks  I was ready to catch a fish with my bare hands and eat it raw (luckily I made it to a hotel which had lovely prepared white fish on the buffet!) 

Good for you for making your trips work-- one if the reasons my food is so creative is I really haven't had to go anywhere for the past 3 weeks! And I love cooking-- I got a bunch of new kitchen tools as recommended by Mel Joulwan. A huge Chef's knife I call "Excalibur" and a big ass skillet. One of the things I love about Whole 30 is you can still have so much fun cooking... so many diets deprive you of reveling in food. Not this one! 

I checked out your log- sounds like we started on the same day and both have discovered a new way to eat that really works for us. It sounds like you have rediscovered control of your food choices even in those out of control scenarios! I'm planning to basically continue eating this way also... I really don't miss much! 

Cheers to enjoying the last 7 of our first 30 days! 

[sarahstardust]

Day 27...I'm getting more and more India-brained. 

I have done really well on the Whole30. I honestly can't wait to do it again... I feel so much better-- better digestion, better sleep, better skin. Much less stiff and sore-- I was actually kind of messed up when I started. So I'm so grateful for the many changes I have made. 

Not eating sugar, dairy, gluten/grains (chips), or alcohol is absolutely huge and makes a giant difference. The idea of starting the day with a big piece of sourdough toast drenched in butter and peanut butter sounds... oh, so wrong! I can already feel the crash coming 2 hours later -- a total set up for eating poorly. Cheese- I was eating a lot of it and won't miss it. I don't have a sugar problem-- unless I start eating it. And alcohol? Lord. If I spent any extra money on duck fat or Whole30 bacon in the past 27 days, I had certainly already saved it by not buying any wine.  

That all being said, here's where my next round of Whole 30 gets its game on even better.

1) I started drinking coffee again, halfway through, with coconut milk. Next round I would like to leave coffee out -- it is definitely a habit that gets in the way of other, better habits. (Walking or stretching for example, instead of sitting and reading.)  I will have the chance to really shake it in India. Indian coffee definitely leaves something to be desired in my experience! (Even served with fresh cow milk from the cow standing next to you.) 

2) Nuts, raisins, dates, and larabars. Mmmmm. Sorry. I got into trouble with these. I never knew dates were so good!!! Mmm. Cashews. Mmmmmm. Cashews and raisins!!! Mmmmm. Larabars. Mmmmm. See what I mean? You can almost hear the brain activity decreasing as all the synapses become focused on tasty snacks that have no basis in actual appetite.  I did not go off the Whole 30, but I think that is kind of half-assed. And that is not very Whole 30. Also, it's a great way to chip into any potential scale benefits. So next time will  just leave these out of the cupboards and off the shopping lists. 

3) Exercise. I just didn't get there. I took some walks, did some stretching... but mmm...no.  Not even close. Would like to walk/stretch daily and strength train 3 x a week. Plus a yoga class or two. 

So that's my plan. I'm going to start my next Whole 30 on 3/21 and end on 4/19. If I can, I'll just pick up this same journal then... signing off till then! 

 

[BlueKoala]

Safe travels, Sarahstardust!