Whole30 week 2 recap... halfway through week 3!

Preface: I started this post on Monday with great intentions, and, behold, life got in the way.

Here we are! On the downward slope of Whole30. We've got 17 full days behind us on day 18 today. And you know what? I really do feel awesome. I had terrible, awful, no good, very bad days on days 9 & 11. I was irritable and Rhett wasn't napping at all, so I just felt so on edge. The only bloating I've had is from eating large amounts of cruciferous veggies sometimes. Overdoing it on cauliflower rice and roasted broccoli isn't the worst thing in the world, now is it? I realize now how crappy I often felt before. I knew my diet wasn't great, but I didn't realize just how much my diet was processed and restaurant foods.

Noticeable benefits so far:

-not a single breakout (big deal for this hormonal mess)

-steady energy levels

-cravings lessening each day

-deep sleep (Rhett willing)

-branching out at the grocery store

-super awesome digestion & lack of bloating

-hunger between meals (in a GOOD way!)

So some of these things don't sound like benefits to people. "Wait, you're hungry?" Well, yes and no. Before Whole30, as a nursing + running mama, I was constantly eating something. Hey, I've got no problem with that! Except that a lot of my snacking was kind of preemptive. Like I was scared to even let myself get hungry. I ALWAYS had an emergency snack ready to go for fear hunger pangs were about to strike and fear of my milk supply dropping. While all of that is well and good, but have you ever heard of "rest and digest"? Basically, it's what your stomach and GI tract need between feedings. Your digestion needs to ebb and flow so that your body isn't having to constantly divert extra blood flow to the gut. If it's having to do that, you can bet your bottom dollar that means a little less blood for your brain. Hello, brain fog! Brain fog comes from lots of things, but it is certainly affected by blood flow being diverted to the gut. That's partly why a big meal makes you sleepy.

I am excited for the reintroduction phase but not for the obvious reasons. Sure, I'll be ready for a sweet treat at some point in the near future, but I don't NEED it. That's an amazing accomplishment in and of itself for me. But I'm excited to have eliminated all these things just to add them back in one at a time so I know how they affect my body and my mind. I just feel like I am going to be equipped with all this knew knowledge and understanding of my own personal system. Ya know? As a control freak, I love that.

I'd say week 3 so far has been a great deal easier than the first 2, but I'm trying not to look too far ahead. One day at a time is working really well, and I'm hoping everything continues to go so smoothly!