Jacob and I are half-way through the program, and after two weeks of eating such a clean diet, I thought I would miss cheese, but it really hasn't even crossed my mind. The two foods I actually do miss are regular salad dressing and peanut sauce. Weird foods to miss, I know, but they would make meal planning so much easier!
To be perfectly honest, I have not struggled too much with following the rules and embracing compliant foods until just recently, but now I am definitely there. I have surprised myself in this challenge countless times by being open-minded and actually liking foods that would have been completely off-the-table before, but I have found myself the last couple days feeling stressed and overwhelmed at work and my stress-eating tendencies are emerging again. I have fought them valiantly (and with some frustration) and settled with apple slices sautéed in ghee and cinnamon (an excellent combination if you've never tried it) as a little taste of warm sweetness in a world of green veggies.
If there's anything I have become acutely aware of on this program its my psychological relationship and reliance on food, most of which is unhealthy. I want salty and sweet foods when I'm stressed, and I often can't get my mind off the craving for long enough to let them pass. While I've known about this tendency for a while, it has never been so glaring as it has this week. My ultimate goal by the end of this program is to break this habit of allowing my emotions to dictate my eating habit and cravings. I am definitely not there yet, but I'm stubborn. It will happen.
The Whole30 book explains that a major component of the challenge is to break not only addictions to certain foods and ingredients (sugar mostly), but also to deconstruct psychological connections to certain foods, textures, and emotional eating tendencies. This aspect is absolutely the hardest. In fact, it takes a ridiculous amount of motivation and will power, and encouragement from Jacob doesn't hurt either.
Word to the wise: never try this program alone. I know for sure I never would have made it this far without a serious support network.
Changes we have noticed this week:
--Clearer skin
--Whiter teeth (like seriously whiter)
--Maybe some weight loss in the waist and leg areas?
--Feeling more flexible/less bloated (except for Wednesday when both of us were bloated and felt like balloons)
--Mental awareness of good food choices (no more eating hot wings and then regretting it the moment they are gone)
Aside from the trouble I have run into recently, the past week has been one of finding ways to make meals in reasonable amounts of time, and we have made some fabulous ones! Here is a look at what we have been eating.
Taco Salad with ground turkey, cauliflower rice, tomato, avocado, and lemon garlic sauce
Lettuce-wrapped turkey burgers with avocado, onion, and grilled jalapeños (on Jacob's) and grilled asparagus
(or grapes since I still can't do asparagus)
This week, we're focusing on getting more creative with our dishes and finding more recipes that we love so we can add more variety to our diet and dig ourselves out of this rut. To do this, we're treating ourselves to buying a garlic press and a slicing mandolin for making zucchini chips. We also picked up this cookbook that I am really excited about. Although paleo is not exactly Whole30, they are very similar, and we can't wait to try some of the recipes!
Our outlook for moving forward is positive. We know this slump is only temporary even though it feels like an eternity, and we still plan to continue a Whole30-like diet that includes salad dressing and peanut sauce after the challenge is over.
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