The Whole30!

While Boudreaux and I eat pretty clean Paleo, I've been relying on lots of GF substitutes for sweets and dark, dark chocolate to quell the sugar-demon. And I've been making lots of cooked fruit stuff for desserts with lots of honey and stuff in attempts to quell the sugar demon. Boudreaux just eats the full on sweets and has the beer.

While we've noticed a lot of positive changes, we know we're not there yet.

I can't quit these sugar cravings and because I can't quit them, the weight is not moving at all anymore. I've totally plateaued. And I've also been using wine to get the sugar fix. Again, while I've made significant improvements to my diet and health in the last seven months, particularly the last 2.5 months, I'm not there yet. About 10 days into my first 30 days, I gave up and went and got GF cookies and then started making Paleo cobblers to satisfy the sugar cravings. And I patted myself on the back for at least giving up ice cream.

Since the weight has plateaued and since I'm starting to get down on myself again about myself, I told the husband that I was going to do the Whole30--no alcohol, no sugar, no fruity desserts after dinner, no non-Paleo foods, that I was going strict Paleo for a month to get rid of the sugar cravings for good and with the hopes of giving the weight loss a restart. I asked him for his support. He said, "I'll do one better--I'll do it with you!"

Happiness not only to my ears but to my heart and soul!

I tried to start this twice already and then immediately made concessions for it. Here's why I know it will be better this time--I'm done with teaching for the summer come tomorrow. Even though grades aren't due until next week, I'm still done with the hard part. I have the gift of time now to be able to do it right. I have the gift of being able to sleep in if/when I need it. I have the gift of being able to set my own schedule as I adjust to this. And I have the gift of time for learning how to efficiently food prep, cook, and keep things organized. Things to set in place before the quarter starts in the fall, things to have already established before life gets stressful again. And Boudreaux feels like crap after three weeks of Army sponsored food, so he's ready, too.

And since we have a friend coming over for the 4th, and we want to be able to have wine/beer with our cookouts, we're waiting until the 5th. But as we have been "enjoying" ourselves this weekend--GF snacks, alcohol, frappacinos yesterday (egads! I hadn't had one in a year!), cakes (I ate the non-gluten, but dairy laden filling but not the crust, as if that made it better), and today I'm paying for our indulgences. I feel like crap. I really really do. So much so that I couldn't work out this morning.

So we start Thursday. We have had a moderate last "hurrah." Our last lunch out for the month (the only exception is that on Sundays my grandparents buy us Subway. I have been eating salads there with double chicken and avocado. Boudreaux will now need to do the same. While not ideal, the salad fits into the Whole30 and Paleo guidelines). We are going to stash the beer deep in the closet in the guest room ( a room we don't go in). Non-paleo foods in the house will be cleaned out tonight and tomorrow. I do have to go to campus tomorrow which means my last real day of getting up early, but as crappy as I feel today, I can't wait until Thursday to do this. As most of our stuff is Paleo kind anyway, tonight and tomorrow's meals won't be a problem if I can't get to the store before Thursday. We have the 4th accounted for anyway, too. But most likely we'll make it to the store tomorrow afternoon.

We know what's ahead of us. 10-14 days of adjustment and crappiness probably. I am expecting for myself massive sugar withdrawal and testiness without my wine that I usually drink while I cook and clean. I am expecting sluggishness and crankiness for the next two weeks. I am expecting that after I work out in the morning I will want to just veg on the couch and sleep. I expect going through serious withdrawals in not being able to weigh myself twice a day (which is another habit I need to break). I expect a lot of highs and lows for those first two weeks. I expect that once we make it to the 19th, things will turn around. I expect it to be really really hard not to cheat at any one part.

We already agreed that we will probably be cranky and that we will allow each other to be cranky and not try to fix anything.

I'm looking forward to this "challenge" actually. I think Boudreaux is, too.