Part II: I Need Food

I do not want to write the same old weight loss story. You do not want to read about the same old weight loss story. It would be like flipping the channel from one of those Dr. Oz shows. Instant denial. Bye-bye. See ya. So long.

So how do I keep your attention? I really can't. I can only write this as a way to keep ME going. I don't need to sell to you.

I was tired of feeling like death. At 31, I shouldn't be falling asleep before dinner. I shouldn't be out of breath just from hauling a medium sized basket of laundry up the basement steps. I shouldn't be sitting on the bench while my boys played at the park.

There were a lot of shouldn't's. I was tired of being exhausted. I wanted more should's. I needed more should's.

I did my research. It was going to cost me nothing. I didn't have to buy the book to participate. There are no weekly check-in's, no memberships or any "special" ingredients. I didn't have to count calories, snack time is optional (meaning I can) and if I'm hungry that means I should eat. Exercising is not required.

"But I have kids" was one of my personal questions. They are definitely not going to eat cauliflower when they know mac and cheese. Plus, I have to work sometimes which means I don't always have time to spend an hour slicing, dicing and basting. I decided I wasn't going to make them follow a complete Whole30 with me because they are kids. They are more suggestible to a gradual change, then a take-it-or-leave-it attack.

I had to make a plan if I was going to be serious about this. A meal plan and a budget plan. We can't afford to buy the "grass-fed beef" or fill the refrigerator with all organic foods. That doesn't mean we don't try to eat healthy or that I don't have fruit available for every meal. Still, I can't afford to spend double on meats and "special" foods and still be budget friendly. I needed quick emergency meals, too.

Eating out was going to be a problem. It was August. School was not in session so there were outings like the zoo, football and extra-curriculars for the boys that offer stadium-like food. Or rather re-heated, boxed, mostly unhealthy food options. Luckily, this is an internet savvy era and I was able to find the menu's to restaurants that we frequent so I knew ahead of time what I could eat.

Pinterest is a scary friend. Like one you're terrified to become too attached to because you know you'll never get rid of them (then, next thing you know, they'll be in your shower or sleeping on your couch). However, you can find comfort because you know there are other people "pinning" away and not doing a damn thing with their pins. But, I went there. I survived.

Whole30 is sort of like Paleo in the sense that it has its own "clan" of people spreading the word about their successes. What you don't see a lot of are the failures. If you ARE overweight and follow the SIMPLE rules you SHOULD succeed. If you are just trying to lose 5 pounds or lose your willpower halfway through, add a "cheat" snack in there.....etc....it won't work. You can't blame the idea. You can only blame yourself (even if you don't want to).

That really is the whole idea behind this "diet" or what they call a food elimination plan. You can eat. You don't focus on what you can't eat.  Really all you do is eat healthy. Then you come to a realization about what kinds of crap you were eating before. And go wow: I have willpower. I can feel better.

Now the weight loss deal: you do lose weight. Why? You're not eating crap. You don't even have to exercise. You're stomach shrinks because you're not eating msg, preservatives, fillers and etc. How do you know you've lost weight if you can't use a scale? Belt loops. Or like me. I had to buy a new belt. Two, actually.

There are more things you find out by completing a Whole30. You figure out how to continue eating better. Even though some people turn their Whole30 into a Whole60 and then a Whole90, you don't have to. After 30 days you slowly reintroduce the food groups you eliminated to see how they effect your body. If grains make you feel bloated or soy causes you to break out, you know that from now on you shouldn't eat those foods.

Next time January Whole30.

To be continued..........