Whole 28

Yes, you read that correctly. I made it 28 days, not 30. It was a premeditated decision. My parents were in town and we wanted to take them to a delicious pancake place for breakfast. I could either 1-stop Whole30 or 2-not eat. I opted for choice 1. I get grouchy when I don't eat.

But I was surprised when we got to the restaurant the next morning (Johnny's Pancake House). I didn't want pancakes! I was all about pancakes when I was pregnant. Who doesn't love bread and honey? (I'm not a syrup person-go ahead, judge.) But they just didn't spark my interest. What was going on? I got an omelette filled with sausage and veggies. And, yes, there was a side of grits and toast, but for the most part it was (relatively) healthy.

So here's what I liked about the Whole30 experience:

• I feel GREAT! Definitely more energy, sleeping like a champ (not that that's ever really been an issue for me)
• I lost the last bit of baby weight. Jon and I want lots of kids. Gaining 6ish pounds? No big deal. Gaining 6ish pounds per kid? Well, that's a different story.
• I'm now more aware of what's in the foods I'm eating. After this experience I can tell it makes a big difference.
• I eat more fruit. Meat and veggies have always been easy for me. Not so much with fruit, but now I eat some after almost every meal.

Here were some things I wasn't super crazy about:

• The cravings. At least when you have pregnancy cravings you can eat what your craving. These were pregnancy cravings without the satisfaction.
• Going out to eat was a bummer. So many delicious menu items saying, "Eat me. Oh wait, you can't." A girl can only eat so many grilled chicken salads with oil and vinegar dressing...
• Not a big breakfast variety. By the end of the month I felt like I was going to turn into a chicken. I ate scrambled eggs every day for breakfast for the month. That's a lot of eggs. 

Was it a good overall experience? Yes! I would absolutely do it again. Now I'm free to eat what I want, but I am finding I want different things than before. I haven't even thought about pasta in weeks. That's a big deal. I'm not going to eliminate dairy, sweets, and grains from my diet. I'm a big believer in "Life is too short to eat boring food." I think it's ok to enjoy things like that from time to time. I would much rather have a healthy attitude and appreciation to those foods than an unhealthy obsession about totally avoiding them (not that everyone who avoids them has an unhealthy obsession). Whole30/paleo food really isn't boring, but there are foods that exist that I want to enjoy in their full glory, foods that are good for the soul. Cajun food. Cinnamon rolls. Vanilla lattes :)

Jon and I decided July is cardio month. There are lots of recipes still to share, and Patrick is just beginning to have true adventures. Stay tuned...