{Life After Day 100}
When I reached day 30, I wasn't sure how to proceed. I felt great. I was happy with the progress I had made, but I was nervous. I worried about slipping back into old habits. Not having a solid plan was not an option, so I forged ahead and, even though it was hard and I battled temptations- I sit here, having made it to day 103 (last week) before venturing into food freedom. I wanted to share with our friends and followers my biggest takeaways from my food reset, a little about my dip into freedom, and where I am going from here.
What I Learned:
1. Cooking at home is not that hard.
Before starting Whole30, we ate out a lot. Not only was it not healthy, it often killed our weekly budget. While on Whole30, our grocery bill has nearly doubled, but we eat at home most of the time. In 100 days, I think I have eaten out less than 8 times. The first few weeks of being on program, it took forever to meal plan, shop, and cook- but with each passing week, it got easier and less time consuming. But honestly, I enjoy the process. I often get asked how much time I spend cooking each week. Really it depends how much I can prep on Sunday. I usually spend 4-5 hours on Sunday prepping food for the week. But meal prepping saves me time throughout the week. Most dinners throughout the week take less than 30 minutes start to finish.
2. Routines and Habits Take Time.
This one should have been an easy lesson for me. I spend day in and day out helping teachers and students build classroom routines and solid habits. But in my own life, I often find it difficult to grant myself grace while building my own healthy habits. Focusing my energy on conquering Whole30 allowed me the time to build some really solid habits- cooking, working out, positive self talk- but it wasn't easy. It was a daily, deliberate series of choices. But the good news is that the more you make healthy choices, the easier it gets.
3. I'm a Pretty Good Cook.
Real talk- prior to Whole30 I was solid at baking brownies, cookies, and other treats but was real bad at actual cooking. Or so I thought. But I worked at it and slowly but surely became more adventurous in my culinary skills. Now, I do 95% of the cooking, meal prepping, and planning. I love it. It isn't a chore. I don't (generally) dread it.
4. It's not all about the scale.
Honestly, this is something I am still working on. You know who panics when she steps on the scale and sees a .5 increase? This girl. And if I being totally transparent, it has taken me all the way to day 100ish to feel like I can celebrate non scale victories- healthy skin, muscle formation, stronger workouts, longer runs, etc. Of course I want the number on the scale to be lower every time I step on it- but I have also begun to rationalize that the number doesn't equate worthiness.
My Brief (but Blissful) Venture into Food Freedom:
Food freedom is the period that follows a dietary reset. Food freedom is about making conscious decisions about what I really want. If I want a cupcake, I'll eat it. If I want a salad, I'll eat it. Food freedom discourages having pre-planned cheat days. You know the kind- I used to have them- where I knew that Saturday was my day to eat WHATEVER I wanted. The problem with pre-planned splurges, is that you can't predict what you will want ahead of time. It's not until you are at the party, walking the aisles of the grocery store, or reading the menu while out with friends, that you decide if a certain food meets your worth-it requirements. Food freedom is about honoring special events, cravings, and traditions. It's about understanding that splitting a milkshake while on a vacation date night with your husband is worth it. It's about knowing that the marg I ordered before our dolphin cruise wasn't as delicious as I thought it would be and I could stop drinking it after one sip without feeling guilty or bad. Food freedom is listening to your body, recognizing how food makes you feel and then deciding if that particular food is worth it now and in the future.
While in Galveston this past week, I stayed mostly on program- both while eating out and cooking at our beach house. But over the course of our time there, I decided a couple things were worth it:
Where I am Going from Here:
As of this morning, I am back on my food reset (Whole30). Tyler wants to be on program until he leaves for San Diego- so I will probably do that as well (25+ days). But I think also I will stay aware of worth it situations. This is another skill that takes time to develop. It's easy to think everything is worth it- hello McDonalds and Little Debbie treats while your husband is working late (not that I ever did that or anything...). But it's also easy to develop an attachment to your reset and remain fearful of freedom- this might be you if you think nothing is worth it. There has to be a balance. There has to be room for special items that are too good to pass up. After all, doing the reset has helped me learn about my own food habits, my vices, and what makes me feel good versus what messes me up. I will do my best to continue sharing our food journey, but you may see a few more #foodfreedom posts mixed in here and there.
All in all- I hope that our journey can help shine a light for you to follow as you move through your own health journey. Maybe you don't need a drastic dietary reset- good for you. Maybe you already live in food freedom- also good for you (I am super jealous btw). But if you're not and you struggle like me, continue to stay tuned.
{she}
What I Learned:
1. Cooking at home is not that hard.
Before starting Whole30, we ate out a lot. Not only was it not healthy, it often killed our weekly budget. While on Whole30, our grocery bill has nearly doubled, but we eat at home most of the time. In 100 days, I think I have eaten out less than 8 times. The first few weeks of being on program, it took forever to meal plan, shop, and cook- but with each passing week, it got easier and less time consuming. But honestly, I enjoy the process. I often get asked how much time I spend cooking each week. Really it depends how much I can prep on Sunday. I usually spend 4-5 hours on Sunday prepping food for the week. But meal prepping saves me time throughout the week. Most dinners throughout the week take less than 30 minutes start to finish.
2. Routines and Habits Take Time.
This one should have been an easy lesson for me. I spend day in and day out helping teachers and students build classroom routines and solid habits. But in my own life, I often find it difficult to grant myself grace while building my own healthy habits. Focusing my energy on conquering Whole30 allowed me the time to build some really solid habits- cooking, working out, positive self talk- but it wasn't easy. It was a daily, deliberate series of choices. But the good news is that the more you make healthy choices, the easier it gets.
3. I'm a Pretty Good Cook.
Real talk- prior to Whole30 I was solid at baking brownies, cookies, and other treats but was real bad at actual cooking. Or so I thought. But I worked at it and slowly but surely became more adventurous in my culinary skills. Now, I do 95% of the cooking, meal prepping, and planning. I love it. It isn't a chore. I don't (generally) dread it.
4. It's not all about the scale.
Honestly, this is something I am still working on. You know who panics when she steps on the scale and sees a .5 increase? This girl. And if I being totally transparent, it has taken me all the way to day 100ish to feel like I can celebrate non scale victories- healthy skin, muscle formation, stronger workouts, longer runs, etc. Of course I want the number on the scale to be lower every time I step on it- but I have also begun to rationalize that the number doesn't equate worthiness.
My Brief (but Blissful) Venture into Food Freedom:
Food freedom is the period that follows a dietary reset. Food freedom is about making conscious decisions about what I really want. If I want a cupcake, I'll eat it. If I want a salad, I'll eat it. Food freedom discourages having pre-planned cheat days. You know the kind- I used to have them- where I knew that Saturday was my day to eat WHATEVER I wanted. The problem with pre-planned splurges, is that you can't predict what you will want ahead of time. It's not until you are at the party, walking the aisles of the grocery store, or reading the menu while out with friends, that you decide if a certain food meets your worth-it requirements. Food freedom is about honoring special events, cravings, and traditions. It's about understanding that splitting a milkshake while on a vacation date night with your husband is worth it. It's about knowing that the marg I ordered before our dolphin cruise wasn't as delicious as I thought it would be and I could stop drinking it after one sip without feeling guilty or bad. Food freedom is listening to your body, recognizing how food makes you feel and then deciding if that particular food is worth it now and in the future.
While in Galveston this past week, I stayed mostly on program- both while eating out and cooking at our beach house. But over the course of our time there, I decided a couple things were worth it:
- Tyler and I had a date night on our last night there. We went to dinner (stayed on program), but then we walked around a downtown, boardwalk area. We strolled right into a local confectionery and decide a milkshake sounded AMAZING. I sipped that mint chocolate milkshake without hesitation. It felt right and worth it. It didn't feel like I was derailing my health or leave me craving more.
- On our way to the airport, we needed to find a place for dinner. I did some Googling and found the most eccentric, awesome school-themed burger joint. Burgers were named for particular grade levels or school personnel and there was an entire school bus inside the restaurant. It was super cool. I read over the menu- saw some choices that would be on program- but also saw a burger that I sounded so, SO yummy. I listened to my worth it meter and decided that we would probably NEVER be at this restaurant again. My son was having a burger. My husband was having a burger. I was going to have a burger too AND split an order of fries with them. We noshed together. It was the perfect way to end our vacay.
Where I am Going from Here:
As of this morning, I am back on my food reset (Whole30). Tyler wants to be on program until he leaves for San Diego- so I will probably do that as well (25+ days). But I think also I will stay aware of worth it situations. This is another skill that takes time to develop. It's easy to think everything is worth it- hello McDonalds and Little Debbie treats while your husband is working late (not that I ever did that or anything...). But it's also easy to develop an attachment to your reset and remain fearful of freedom- this might be you if you think nothing is worth it. There has to be a balance. There has to be room for special items that are too good to pass up. After all, doing the reset has helped me learn about my own food habits, my vices, and what makes me feel good versus what messes me up. I will do my best to continue sharing our food journey, but you may see a few more #foodfreedom posts mixed in here and there.
All in all- I hope that our journey can help shine a light for you to follow as you move through your own health journey. Maybe you don't need a drastic dietary reset- good for you. Maybe you already live in food freedom- also good for you (I am super jealous btw). But if you're not and you struggle like me, continue to stay tuned.
{she}
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