Start Date: December 1st

[EWilber34]

New here...I will start on December 1st. I will start no sugar today because mentally, I am just ready. I have been a sugar addict for years and I have recently discovered that I am definitely sensitive to milk products. I tried Paleo a few years ago, as prescribed by my doctor, but I just didn't keep up on it, especially after I had met my soon to be ex-husband. He never wanted me to be healthy (he definitely wasn't) and It was so hard to fight for that. I have decided that now being in a safe place, I am going to break free from not just the bondage he and sugar had me under, but to finally take control and stop making excuses. I am ready to slay the sugar dragon and move forward. A friend of mine did the Whole30 for 100 days and has made it a lifestyle to help her kiddos and they did it as a family and saw drastic changes. I'm ready to make the drastic change for my body. I'm nearly 300 pounds, biggest I've ever been and I use to be healthy and an athlete, till college and a back injury. Just sick and tired of being sick and tired. I have goals and dreams and my body isn't going to be the result of those things unanswered. I'm ready to do this!

[LadyLisbette]

I will start Dec. 1, too! I did a W60 last spring, and it was a great experience for me. I've been riding my own bike now for about 8 months, and feel ready to deepen my commitment to myself and take it to the next level. I'm 51, just stopped using the pill, and so am experiencing some symptoms of menopause for the first time. I know that's inevitable, and it's ok, but I want to do everything in my power to be optimal and efficient in the body. Some months after finishing the W60, my husband and I went on a challenging 6 day backpacking trip and my knees have not been happy since then. I need trekking poles! So I'm exploring how nutrition supports my joint health as I recover and heal. 

It sounds like you've been through some real hard times, EWilbur 34, but I like the empowerment and determination in your post - there's so much support here, and so much to look forward to. 

We can do this! I wonder if anyone else will join us...come out, come out, wherever you are! LOL

[Eryca]

I'm also starting December 1. Really nervous as I have had past disordered eating (10+ years ago) and my motto since I recovered was "eat whatever you want when you're hungry" And it's caught up to me, in exhaustion, pain, weight gain, mild depression, etc. My goal for whole30 is to just feel better. I've been lactose intolerant on and off most of my life, but I largely ignore it and eat dairy products anyway. I'm just anxious as bread products and sugar are daily for me, and I know my sugar addiction is very real. My significant other is being supportive, and will eat whole30 meals with me, but isn't doing it himself, so it's a different kind of support. I have a good friend who has done it in the past, but isn't currently and I don't want to blow up her phone with every little thing. Hoping this can be a place of support this month. 

[LadyLisbette]

Welcome Eryca! I think preparation will be key for you so that you have options, and eventually you might discover that you don't even crave sugar and bread products anymore...more will be revealed in the process. Trust the process, you can do it! 

Do you have the W30 meal template? If not you can look that up, I found it helped a lot on my first round last spring.

 

 

[LadyLisbette]

Tomorrow's our day! This week, like EWilbur cutting out sugar, I've been warming up for day 1 by eliminating things with added sugar, cutting out my occasional-bread habit, occasional indulgences of sweets. In addition to cutting out alcohol (rare for me, this isn't hard) I'm also planning to eliminate coffee and go easy on the spicy food in order to hopefully manage hot flashes/cold flashes. Yesterday I got back to exercise, and am psyched to re-commit there as well.

I have a big batch of 2 pork tenderloins already roasted and sliced in the fridge, plenty of vegetables, greens, some fruit, boiled eggs, and enough of what I need to get me through to Saturday food shopping, and I'm feeling confident. 

How are you ladies doing, what are you planning?

[RunGirlRun]

I'm starting Dec 2nd (after anniversary date night on Dec 1!)   Can I hang out with y'all?  You seem like a fun and supportive bunch.  

I'm counting this as my 2nd W30.  The 1st one in June 2016 was successful, but we immediately went on vacation to Las Vegas afterward (enough said?!)  2nd attempt in Sept 2016 ended early (totally gave up when it got hard -- no excuses.)   So, my goal this time around is to not only complete the 30 days strong, but also to do reintroduction well.

I have to admit I'm kind of excited to wake up on Jan 1st NOT feeling hung over from too much holiday food/wine!  Hopefully this January we'll all be celebrating a successful 30 days and kicking off 2018 healthier than ever!!!

Happy start day tomorrow, EWilbur, LadyLisbette, and Eryca!  

 

 

[LadyLisbette]

Welcome to the party, RunGirlRun!

Good point -- I'm also excited to wake up on Jan. 1st not feeling the way I feel after a month + of cookie monster madness. There is a customer who always brings this one particular holiday treat that makes me insane - I won't name or describe it, but getting past that will be *huge* for me. Just the warm up this week has given me a self esteem boost.

I had a good brisk walk today, stretch, and some meditation, and reflected on how responsive the body is to healthy changes. I'm already feeling better.

Happy Anniversary to you and yours, and I'm looking forward to the conversations here with everybody!

[LadyLisbette]

So far so good. I was rushed in the morning but had a decent dinner-breakfast of pork tenderloin, roasted yams and green beans. Lunch was a big salad with left over strip steak, cucumbers, carrots, apple, pepitas, and a homemade chili-lime dressing that was delicious. I was hungry between lunch and dinner but I didn't snack. I had lamb sliders with yams and steamed broccoli, a tangerine and some pistachios. I took 3 quarts of water, stopping a couple of hours before dinner, and sipped herb tea with dinner. I'm tired from a long week of work, and a good return to exercise in the last few days.

I forgot to weigh myself this morning but I'll do that tomorrow just to have a comparison for later...

 

[Eryca]

Thank you LadyLisbette! I do have meal templates! So, not so funny story, I got the stomach flu Thursday night and ended up in the ER to get rehydrated. OY! So I did not start whole30 yesterday. I'll probably start Monday or Tuesday! Today was my first day of solid food! What timing! I'll definitely go easy on the sugar and grains until I start, and probably not eat any dairy or soy. Looking forward to all of your updates! 

[LadyLisbette]

Eryca, that sounds rotten - hope you're feeling better! 

I'm starting to think differently about exercise. I have a great hiking trail near me with steep slopes, and I usually hike, then come home to stretch and meditate. I'm thinking I can do less cardio and add in some floor work at home for strength. Why didn't I think of that before? With all this good protein, might as well tone up a little.

Day 2 went well. I did all my food shopping after work and looking forward to cooking tomorrow.

[RunGirlRun]

Hello friends!  Checking in to see how your weekend is going??  After a fun-filled anniversary, DH and I started W30 yesterday.  Day 1 went pretty well:

Breakfast - skipped (I know, not good, but still stuffed from dinner)

Workout - OrangeTheory (strength, row, run)

Lunch - giant salad from Whole Foods salad bar (kale, brussel sprouts, pears, roasted chicken, beet strings, olive oil and vinegar)

Snack - handful of cashews (I know we're not supposed to snack, but starvation kicked in -- probably bc I skipped breakfast and post WO snack?!)

Dinner - pork chops with sautéed apples and onions, mashed butternut squash, and broccoli

LadyLis - Sounds like things are going well.  Focusing on strength work during the W30 sounds like a great plan to me.  As much as I love my cardio, I'm finding that running just doesn't keep things toned like it used to (am closing in on 50 next summer!)  One of my hopes for this W30 is to see if it can help with my horrible (hormonal?) sleep issues.

Eryca - You poor thing!  That must have been some flu to land you in the hospital.  Glad you're home and recovering.  Hopefully you can join us this week.

EWilber - How are you doing?  Thinking of you and how strong you are to take this step toward health!

Take care!  

[LadyLisbette]

Thanks for the great check-in, RunGirlRun! Happy Anniversary, and congrats on your shared start. How cool to share the W30 with your mate. Do you guys work out together, too? I'll have to look up OrangeTheory, and also where you live, the image of rowing comes in, and it must be amazing...

Yeah, it seems so obvious to work more on strength, but for some reason I get obsessed with that mountain. It calls to me, and I love the way I feel when I get home. Having said that, the air quality is terrible right now, so I think staying indoors to do my strength work makes all kinds of sense. 

Did you get a notable improvement in your sleep during your first round of W30? I did...I'm not seeing that yet this time around, but I hope to/expect to/trust that I will = )

Today's cook up includes a yam roast, and will assemble sautéd apples with spiced ground dark meat chicken and chopped spinach and crunchy toasted pepitas. This is delicious hot with yams, and also cold (sans yams) in romaine hearts for lunch. I've got a spring chicken ready to go, and also made a Moroccan-ish spice blend for sliders later in the week. The freezer is full, so I'm feeling ready.

I'm a little nervous about a weekend trip to visit friends...they will be supportive, and I will take some cooking to share, and we will probably combine what we are cooking/eating, and it will be fine. Seeing them will be well worth the effort/stress of getting there with my cooler full'a meatball mixtures!I just feel very attached to home and hearth now, y'know? The stove top is my security blanket!

Even though tomorrow's not day 1, it feels like a brave new week! Best to all, look forward to hearing from all comrades here. Go, team Dec 1!

 

[jeanettem]

Hi everyone! My mom, Dad, and I started whole30 on Dec 1 and we’re going strong. My husband isn’t doing it but is eating the whole 30 meals I make. He’s very supportive though. 

I felt my first true sugar cravings on Sunday but then realized I was actually hungry. I asked myself the steamed fish and broccoli question and it was a yes. 

Over the last few days, I learned I need to carry emergency snacks with me. I am breastfeeding my 5 month old so I can get hungry pretty fast. I still can’t get used to drinking my coffee without sugar and my skim milk but I’m sticking to new barn almond milk and coconut oil. It’s not TERRIBLE. LOL 

 

How’s everyone else doing after the weekend?

[RunGirlRun]

Welcome to our gang, Jeanette!  And congrats on the new baby   It's great you have your family's support for this adventure, especially with a new baby and the accompanying exhaustion.  My youngest is now 12 but I remember vividly how desperately I needed coffee during her early months!  Have you tried Nutpods creamer?  The  French Vanilla one is amazing (and W30 approved!)

LadyLis - Your apple/chicken/spinach/pepitas combo sounds amazing.  Do you have a recipe to share?  That sounds like something others might enjoy on your weekend trip.  If you're looking for other potential recipes for non-W30 eaters, my family LOVES the Wonton Meatballs and Chicken Fajitas on the Nom Nom Paleo website. (And I love the fact they don't even know they're eating so healthy?!)

Yesterday (Day 2) went well:

Breakfast - compliant chicken-apple sausage, scrambled eggs with broccoli and ghee

Lunch - tuna poke (from Against All Grain cookbook -- yummy and easy) with cucumbers

Snack - handful of cashews (still trying to break the snack habit!)

Dinner - grilled steak, roasted carrots, and creamed spinach (from lexiscleankitchen.com -- so good!)

Workout - Rest Day, though I did go hit the tennis ball around with my 14 y/o for 30 minutes or so

Happy Monday, everyone!

[LadyLisbette]

Welcome, Jeanette! I'm warmly impressed that you're taking on this challenge with such a young baby - way to go! You are amazing. I forgot about the fish and broccoli question - I'll have to remember that!

So far so good: my energy level is up, and psychologically I'm in a good place. My tummy has been upset a couple of times, but I think I'll get used to the amount of vegetables. I'm hoping that's all it is - to be sure, I'm cutting out the black tea that I have been subbing for coffee (my anti hot flashes experiment) and will keep an eye on it.

RunGirl, YES, I would love to share the recipe. When I wrote the post I knew I needed to review the rules about sharing recipes... and now I have, so here goes! I follow W30 Recipes on Instagram, and Kitcheneer was a guest post-er, and she generously shared Mel Joulwan's recipe - I modify it but here is the recipe:

http://www.thekitcheneer.com/recipe/harvest-meat-and-potato-bowl/

So funny you mention Wonton Meatballs - I LOVE that recipe, and it's in the regular rotation at my house, and in fact, I have meat thawing on the counter to make it tomorrow! YUMMMM. My introduction to Paleo ways of eating was all about Nom Nom and Mel....I probably have learned more and eaten more from them than any other one source since this all started in 2013. Well Fed 2 is a favourite, and the latest, Well Fed Weeknights is on the way! You are reading my mind, because my plan is to take a batch of Wonton Meatballs and Bison Chili with yams to see my friends. = )

If you guys like Thai Food I also love Mel's Tod Mun Chicken Cakes:

https://meljoulwan.com/2017/02/15/paleo-tod-mun-chicken-cakes/

This morning I did 30 minutes of lower body and abs exercises today followed by 20 minutes of yoga and 20 minutes of sitting meditation. Then I cleaned my house like a Tazmanian devil until it was time to go to work. I worked until 6, got dinner on the table, and this post is the first time I've sat down all day. I was up for all of it, but now, I confess, I am getting tired! Hope to sleep well.

I'm so grateful for the company here - keep the news coming!

[RunGirlRun]

Today is a happy day!  Just got my new Whole30 Day by Day book in the mail.  Yippee!  

Day 3 yesterday:

Breakfast - compliant chicken-apple sausage, leftover mashed butternut squash, kale

Workout - HIIT class (strength and cardio intervals)

Lunch - tuna poke with cucumbers

No Snack -- woo hoo!

Dinner - chicken with mustard sauce (from Quick & Easy Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook), roasted carrots and brussel sprouts

I was pretty tired last night and could barely drag myself out of bed this morning, but apparently that's normal for Days 3-4.  

LadyLis - Thanks for the recipes -- Nom Nom and Well Fed are two of my favorites too!  I also love PaleOMG and Stupid Easy Paleo.  How's your tiredness level today?

Take care, everyone!

[jeanettem]

Hi! Thanks for the welcoming messages. You guys are a fun and supportive group!

Just ended Day 5. I definitely needed a snack between lunch and dinner. I had an apple and almond butter. I know they say to try and not do fruit alone but since I’m paring it with a fat I figured it’s ok. 

It’s been a bit challenging trying to eat my breakfast within an hour of waking up. I’m the kind of person that doesn’t have breakfast till around 9 or 10 because I don’t wake up hungry.  I can also see how eggs can get old real fast. 

I felt pretty tired today but not sure if it was only because I woke up at the crack of dawn. I can’t wait to start feeling all that energy. 

RunGirlRun and LadyLisbette, you are doing great! Can’t wait to keep hearing about your experience. Are we the only 3 currently active on the Dec 1 group?

[LadyLisbette]

I over-exercised on Monday, and felt so sore yesterday! I know that's a good thing, but I'm definitely working on finding a middle way. I hiked on Tuesday, followed by yoga and sitting meditation. It was also bitterly cold all day yesterday, so it was a hard day for my body. I cancelled a massage client because I felt so drained through my back (that's a side gig on top of running a small but busy retail business with my husband). Today much better. In fact, I have an early NSV to report. I got up shortly after the alarm, and made. my. bed. It was cold, I was naked, and I had to go to the bathroom, and somehow, I just had to make the bed. I think the organization and self care is spilling over, as promised. Yeah! Today I did a modified version of the Monday work out, and then worked all day and just finished up the dishes, feeling great, plenty of energy. Whew! So shades of Tiger Blood are upon me, but I'm still anticipating the legendary deep W30 sleep.

When I see my friends this weekend, I'm ready to answer the question, why W30, and why in December? Me: to show menopause who's Boss. LOL That's how I feel.

Jeanette, have you read It Starts with Food? Melissa writes a lot about the hunger hormones, and I think you might expect to see a morning appetite come around as a result of your W30 - 'will look forward to hearing how it shifts for you! For me, learning to eat dinner for breakfast was a revelation and life saver -- I was surprised and disappointed to find how gaggy eggs became for me in the morning! I was very attached to morning eggs...I still love eggs, and usually eat two boiled eggs with coconut aminos as a pre-work out snack in the early morning.

RunGirlRun, what do you serve your Wonton Meatballs with? Do you have a special sauce or side? I'm cooking them tomorrow and and leaving Friday, would love any tips. 

Do you guys make mayonnaise? What kind of oil do you use? I like avocado oil but I'm tired of getting it home and finding it's rancid...

 

[hollysmokes]

Hey y'all! I've been lurking around the forum for the last few days and ran across your thread this morning. I made a non-commitment commitment to start my third W30 last Monday. I successfully completed my first one with my Mom in Sept 2014 and started a second one halfheartedly spring 2015 but only made it 14 days before caving. I was intending to use December as a ramp-up to starting on Jan 1 but I hate NY resolutions and realized I need to commit! So here I am on Day 4 and I would love to join you.

I broke+dislocated+severe nerve damage+surgery to my shoulder a year ago and have been using that as an excuse to not exercise so I'm committing to stopping the excuses, too! I've been trying to combine my physical therapy exercises with some MovNat and weights and have been doing pretty well. At least I've done SOMETHING every day and that's progress. 

After my first W30, I backslid pretty quickly so I think, for me, I need more than 30 days to really create those new habits and break a lifetime of bad ones. Sarah Ballantyne had a good post about how long it takes to create new habits a while back and it resonated w me so maybe I'll keep going on Jan1!

LasyLisbette, I do make my own mayo- made some last night for coleslaw- and use Spectrum organic expeller-pressed high-oleic sunflower oil (whew that's a mouthful!). It has a neutral taste (and color) and is W30 and Mark Sisson approved. It's also way cheaper than avocado oil. I order mine from Vitacost and it's even cheaper there than anywhere else I've found it.

Time to get up and MOVE- I sit in front of a computer most of the time. Thanks for motivating me and letting me sound off!

[RunGirlRun]

Welcome to the gang, Hollys!  Congrats on starting before the New Year -- clearly we're of the same mindset   Your shoulder injury sounds just awful.  Hopefully feeling your body well this month will help speed your recovery.

LadyLis - Awesome NSV!  Gotta love the early Tiger Blood signs.  Good luck prepping for your trip today.  I'm thinking I'll make some Wonton Meatballs this weekend, too.  I usually serve them with a ginger pineapple rice recipe from Ali Maffucci's Inspiralized cookbook -- riced carrots sauteed in a little coconut oil with ginger, garlic, green onions, and diced pineapple.  So good!  Leftover meatballs and "rice" are great as lettuce wraps, too (if there are any leftovers?!)

Days 4 and 5 done and done!  Solid meals and workouts both days  (30 min Row on Tues, 4 mi Hill Run on Wed.) I noticed I'm starting to get redundant with my breakfasts (sausage, eggs, squash, veg) and lunches (kale salads with chicken past 2 days).  This weekend I'm planning to try some new recipes.  If I find any great ones, will definitely share.

Jeanette - How are you coming along?  Are you finding some good breakfast options?

Eryca - Have you recovered from the flu? 

EWilber - We miss you! Let us know how you're doing! 

[LadyLisbette]

HollySmokes, that's a cute name - welcome to the party! Aren't we an ambitious lot, getting a head start on the Jan. re-set traditions! Congrats on your beginning-again with movement and W30 after such a serious set-back. Such life affirming progress. Thanks for the awesome tip on the oil, too, I can't wait to try that. I've ordered from VitaCost before, but I had forgotten about it.

RunGirl, that recipe sounds heavenly, I will have to try that out! I'm a little late to the spiralizing party, but I did get one recently, just haven't used it. I'll bet it will become a new friend this month, as soon as I get back. I guess for ricing, it's just a matter of using the food processor, that doesn't sound so hard! I hadn't heard of Ali before - I'm already learning a lot from you all!

Lettuce wraps are one of my favorite lunches at work - so incredibly versatile for whatever is leftover from dinner - bravo!

One difference I'm noticing on this second time around with W30 is that I'm not feeling so inclined to share about it with people I might normally. Especially because of it being December - I just don't want to hear feedback or reactions, or stir up people's issues. Neighbors and good regular customers are already offering sweet homemade treats, and instead of all the discussion about W30, I'm just saying thank you, I can't wait to try it, then I either freeze it for a future treat or give it away. I do need support, but I'm only sharing with the hubbie and staff and of course, friends this weekend...

What are you guys doing around this topic? I'll be back on Monday! 

[Eryca]

RunGirlRun, I'm just starting to feel 100% normal which is frustrating, and my stomach is still sensitive. I feel like I've already failed! (even though I was sick) and since it's already getting late in the month, I'm just going to start Jan 1. Thanks all! Best of luck in December!   

[hollysmokes]

Thanks for the warm welcome; glad to be here.

Eryca- You shouldn't view it as a fail; sometimes shitake happens. Hope you feel better soon.

Jennette- I'm trying to stop the snack attack in the afternoon as well. My "snack" also included a glass (or 3) of wine or heading down the road for a couple of craft beers. I get up at 530, usually have M1 around 730 and that's been working pretty well for me but I am SO ready for lunch by noon instead of my usual 1-ish!

RunGirl- I do the redundant breakfast thing, too. I make a breakfast casserole on Sunday to feed myself all week but I try to vary the ingredients every week. I use whatever veggies are leftover or getting tired and add either coconut milk or some kind of meat to get some good fat. It winds up being like a crustless quiche. Grated  up turnips make a great addition to make it more like the traditional potato-based breakfast casseroles. Makes for no thinking in the mornings and I'm all over that!

LadyLis- Thanks; it's a holdover from a meat smoking forum. I love Vitacost for non perishable staples! Funny- I'm feeling the same way about sharing this time; I didn't even tell my husband until the end of day 2! I've only shared with him and my Mom so far but as soon as friends notice I'm not drinking, I'm sure there will be questions (but no judging so that's cool!).

Did a good yoga workout yesterday and my shoulder whined about it a bit but I think that's just what I need to help regain strength and mobility. Awesome dinner- stuffed peppers and this cauliflower from Michelle Tam: http://nomnompaleo.com/post/11861165935/pizzeria-delfinas-spicy-cauliflower. I even had purple cauli, not that it matters flavor-wise but it was pretty.

Happy Friday everybody. I hope I'm up to the temptations of the weekend- lots of bad habits to beat down but I'm up for it. There's no such thing as "try"; either do it or don't. Yeah!

 

[hollysmokes]

Happy Monday everybody! Hope you all had a good weekend. I know y'all are all further along on this journey than I am but I'm pretty pumped to be on Day 8. I successfully navigated the weekend in spite of it being my husband's birthday. I Made him pancakes for breakfast and wasn't even tempted but made him a pecan pie (complete with candle) and was SO tempted but didn't. I had to keep reminding myself that I couldn't lick my fingers or the bowl :0

My stomach rebelled a bit Saturday night so that made getting to sleep difficult but I woke up Sunday feeling great and even managed to get out in the garden to plant 120 garlics and pick a half bushel of turnips! It was a beautiful day and a good time was had by all.

I'm eating M1 as I type- ground beef/roasted veg hash w fried eggs on top. I made enough hash to last all week and just have to fry up my eggs each morning so I think I can deal w that pretty well.

Have a great day and keep W30-ing on.

[LadyLisbette]

Hello! Eryca, it makes sense that you would need more time to recover before starting W30 - absolutely. If it helps you to psych for your fresh start, please do sick around here, don't be shy. = )

Holly - congrats on getting through your husband's birthday like a champ - your garden sounds wonderful. The breakfast hash, too! Michelle's cauli recipe looks good - anything with capers and I'm in.

I was tempted at one point to throw in the towel this weekend, but I didn't. I showed up to my friends' place with Well Fed Wonton Sliders, a tub of roasted yams, and a double batch of bison chili and yams. My friends showed their supportive friendship the first night with bright green herb-marinated barbecued chicken and salad loaded with vegetables, delicious, and sweet of them. They abstained from grains at that meal, and made positive remarks about how that felt. It was a little awkward for me because I didn't know if they thought they had to in order to keep me from temptation, but I just let them be grown ups who made their own decisions, and not trip about it.

We visited their favorite Indian and Asian markets (score! Things I can't get at home!) and came home to make a delicious Tom Kha Gai. I was so inspired that I picked up what I needed on my way home to make it myself...I'm thinking it would go great with http://meljoulwan.com/2017/02/15/paleo-tod-mun-chicken-cakes/ which I may have shared before....yummmm. Happiness is a load of pantry staples that are hard to find where I live, from my journey to see old dear friends. Over dinner at their favorite Indian restaurant (the tempting part of the trip, hello garlic naan among many other favorite things on the menu!) I realized that they didn't know much about W30 (I emailed her all about it last spring during my first round) but although they love me and support me, they seem to have lumped it in with a low carb weight loss fad...and they're really not that interested, I don't think, showing some ideas I disagree with about fat, gluten, and kombucha, etc...and that's ok! That might have been my cue to educate them, but I really didn't feel like it - I love them - they weren't asking for information, and they have set ideas, so I let it be. My friend's takeaway was being inspired to eat more vegetables. It was an interesting way to mark being 1/3 of the way through the month, a blessing, and also a challenge psychologically. Whew! I still came away from my visit with a full heart and gratitude for the friendship, absolutely.

I left the leftover chili with them, so up this week will be another double batch for us at home, the left over sliders, and the Thai soup. There are two holiday celebrations this week, followed by my first colonoscopy on Friday. So it will be an interesting week of mental focus!

Hope you're all well! What's the news?