Before I talk about my own struggles with body image and health, lets just establish that what might be hard for me, might be easy for you, and what might be easy for me, might be hard for you. We are all different, fighting different battles, and deal with different body image insecurities.
I've never been 100% confident in my body and I'm not sure when it steamed back to but I think it was around Jr. High when all the girls were rails and I was developing up top. I was always pretty thin, but my body was awkward and I didn't know how to dress it, or wear the proper bra to help. My older sister was the athletic one and I usually got all the hand-me-down clothes, which didn't fit me right anyways. We've always had different body types. College was a good time for me. I felt like I came into my own skin a bit, but my eating habits were terrible. Eat whatever I wanted, but then kill myself at the gym for hours afterwards. Late nights, eating out, or starving myself to get back to my shape again. I went to Europe for a month and ate and ate and ate. I probably gained 10 pounds alone from that trip. I definitely don't regret that weight gain. Hello fresh croissants in Paris and all the pizza and pasta in Italy?? It was worth it.
Years later, after getting married, having 2 kids, I still have insecurities. As all women do, we compare ourselves to others. A couple weeks ago, I was chatting with a friend and she completely opened my eyes to a new concept. She said, "if you're a pear, you'll always be a pear. Sometimes you'll be a bigger pear, and other times you'll be a smaller pear, but your shape will always be there." It took me HOW LONG to come to that concept?? I wish someone had told me that 15 years ago!!
About a month ago, I was on Instagram (of course) and I came across quite a few health hashtags like #cleaneats and #whole30. I wasn't sure what they were about, but they definitely had a lot of delicious looking food pictures. They had tips for meals, cleaner eating, and then there was a bunch of talk about this Whole 30 program.
I researched a bit and finally ordered the book on amazon. After the book arrived, it still took me a few days to even open it, or read past the first few pages. Days passed, and I said to myself, you spent money on the book, pick it up and read it, you fool! Hate how lazy I can be sometimes.
So then here we are.
The Whole 30 for Ryan and I is more of a detox. Fortunately, I don't have any major health ailments hindering me everyday like some people suffer from but I do suffer from headaches and lack of energy and feeling like a slave to my cravings. I have zero control when it comes to sweets and treats. I buy them. I eat them. And I continue to feel crappy and out of control. Ryan is lactose intolerant so he has always suffered from dairy issues, but hasn't really done anything to help them (even when I constantly nag him about it). He is better at not indulging in sweets like I do, but we definitely enable each other when preparing meals and overeating.
Like I said to myself 6 days ago before starting The Whole 30, you can do anything for 30 days. So for those that don't care much about learning more, in a short explanation, The Whole 30 is a 30 day program/diet/detox (whatever you want to call it) where you eliminate dairy, grains, legumes, and refined sugars from your diet. You eat clean. and fresh for every single meal. You can eat proteins, vegetables, fruits, and the "good fats" from oils and nuts. After those 30 days, you can start introducing those food groups again if you want, or keep going with that eating style.
I thought I was prepared when we started it, but the first day, my body was so angry with me. Constantly hungry, tired, headachey, and just MAD at myself for doing this. That was a clear indicator that whatever I was doing in the past and whatever I was eating in the past was not the best for my body and my health. I had to go to bed in order to get rid of my hunger! The next morning, I felt completely different and happy and energetic. What a change!
We are now on day 6 and while I feel like I am constantly cooking and preparing meals for the next thing or cleaning the same dishes over and over again, we are still plugging along on this journey.
Here are some FAQ you may be wondering about:
1. Are you wanting to eat like this forever? And the answer is no. I
do see us doing the Whole 30 a few times a year (
if we see changes and feel like we should do it again). Maybe after Christmas and once during the summer. Ryan feels a lack of calories and energy, he's a runner and does not like how his running has been impacted, so I can definitely see us introducing oats and rice back in our diet to help give him more calories. It is also very expensive to eat like this. I've been to the store 3 times in the past week and have spent more on fresh produce than I usually do in a month. And also, we believe that The Whole 30 isn't necessarily keeping with The Word of Wisdom (
learn more here) and we want to be obedient to that law. Like it says, everything in moderation.
2. Are the girls eating The Whole 30 too? No, but we are increasing their palettes and introducing new ways of eating things. Ellie has always been pretty picky about what she likes so I feel like I am constantly making 3 different meals every time I am in the kitchen. Brinley has been more adventurous to try new things and is always so interested in "what smells so good."
3. Is this a weight-loss thing? For me, this is not a weight-loss thing. Sure, there are some extra baby lbs that bother me, and if I lose some weight in the process, I am happy to welcome it, but this for me is mainly for my headaches and sugar addiction. It is not fun feeling chained down to headaches and feeling disabled by them. I am tired of it. I know for Ryan, he would like to lose some weight and have this kick-start him back into getting in shape and feeling more energetic.
4. Game changers: making your own olive oil mayo and salad dressings. It makes everything taste richer and it's also a great way to add more fats into your diet. This was HUGE for us. I am so excited about my new skills!
I have no idea what I'll be saying next week about this or even at the end of the 30 days, but what I do know is that I can already feel a difference. I feel a burst of energy. I don't feel chained to eating, or grazing, or needing a treat at the end of the night. But on the other hand, I am also planning a pizza/donut party on Day 31, sooooo good thing this is 30 days right? haha maybe those cravings will die down. I will always be a treat person, that's just my weakness to deal with.
If you are interested in learning more, buy the book! If anything, the book really helped me understand what types of food are doing to my body and how I can eat cleaner everyday.
Here are some pictures of my favorite meals so far:
chicken salad romaine lettuce sliders with homemade olive oil mayo
1-3/random salads getting increasingly better when my homemade avocado salad dressing was made. 4/breakfast-sweet potato hash, 2 fried eggs, avocado, with a splash of hot sauce
1/sweet potato/banana pancakes (delish!!), hard boiled eggs on the first day when I thought I was dying, 3/ breakfast-sweet potato chips, eggs, hot sauce, 4/Dinner-day 5-tuna steak, cauliflower mash with homemade ranch dressing, and green beans
Comment below if you want any of these recipes or how-to's and I'll email them to you.
