W30- Day Seventeen

First, photos of some of the yumminess we've been eating:

Chili and Baked Sweet Potato

Pork, Fruit Salad, and Guacamole Slaw

Tenderized Steak and Mexican Cauliflower Rice

Pulled Pork Tacos

Brandon:

How am I doing on my Whole30 challenge?  I feel like I have more energy, but I'm a little disappointed that I haven't lost weight, and I haven't felt all that "thinner" in the last few days even though I obviously have lost inches judging by the notches on my belt.  I really want to lose weight, so I feel a little discouraged that it hasn't happened yet.

It's kind of miserable not being able to eat what you want and to not lose weight on top of that is even worse. I know I didn't put it on in two weeks so it's not just going to fall off in two weeks, but it would be good to see a little weight loss. 

Really, I want to eat some cheese, dagummit.  I really miss cheese.

I am not feeling positive about my diet right now.  I'm just pressing through.  That's just the honest truth.

Mandy:

I was feeling really negative last week when I was going through major detoxing, but I am feeling pretty positive now, except for these horrible chocolate cravings.  I could really go for some chocolate pie, or my Granny's fabulous Chocolate Crunch Cake... or her delicious chocolate chip walnut cookies. Or just a vat of chocolate.

On the upside, I measured around my natural waist this morning (belly button area), and realized I have lost 5 inches since the start of our Whole30! I am fitting into my two favorite pairs of jeans which I have been unable to wear for some time.  Which reminds me, there's another pair of jeans I haven't been able to wear in over a year! I bet they fit now! 

My energy levels are not so hot today. I feel good inside, but I also feel a little tired. Obviously my body is still recovering, so this is normal.

I know Brandon is discouraged (this is probably why the people behind the Whole30 discourage weighing yourself during the challenge), but I can see he has lost inches.  The scale can be so fickle, but it is clear he is slimming down. His pants are fitting much looser!

I do have times when I just want to eat "normal" food.  I want to sip on a Java Chip frappe.  I want to consume pie crust dough in ridiculous amounts.  I'd like to have some Fritos on my chili. 

I've read and heard a lot of people's Whole30 stories, and I have to remind myself that everyone is different, and our journeys will not be the same.  For some, 30 days isn't enough.  For others, 30 days is a perfect "body reboot".

At this point, I feel like we will continue to follow many of the Whole30 principles after our challenge ends.  I definitely feel like limiting dairy and grains would be good long term, and of course, we could all go without MSG and other nastiness for the rest of our lives.  I am eager to "Paleoify" some meals (grain-free cookies, dairy-free chocolate pudding, cauliflower pizza crusts), so I am looking forward to that once the challenge ends.

The kids are not following the Whole30, but we have removed wheat and dairy from their diets.  Our oldest, Merikalyn, had such rough, icky rashes on the tops of her hands... and now the rash is almost completely gone.  Her hands are almost soft and smooth once again!  We have always limited dairy from Evangeline's diet because she is pretty sensitive to it.  She looooves Mac 'n' Cheese though.