Currently, I am on day 21 of my Whole30 food adventure.  I am proud that I have stuck with it this long, to be honest.  There have been moments where I really wanted to cave, and have that hot, buttered roll, or make a huge heaping plate of cheesy nachos, or a giant piece of cheesecake.  But I have held on.  There have been a few moments where I've had to make the most of the situation - like at the Ball the other night.  I was so hungry by the time we ate (I totally should have eaten beforehand), so I did the best I could at not eating the gravy on the meat, but I am sure I consumed something that was not Whole30 approved.  Oh well.  I'm not all bent out of shape about it, I did the best I could given the circumstances.

People keep asking me how I feel and if I have noticed a difference in how I feel.  I do.  I have more energy, and don't get those middle-of-the-day crashes that I used to get.  I sleep easily and well (although some of that might be the fact that we do have a little baby who keeps me tired, ha!).  My milk supply is still not an issue, which I am thankful for.

I did encounter a period of days in which I started breaking out and was very irritable.  At first, I wondered if it was food related, but I now know it was more hormonal related.  My face is starting to clear up again, and I have not been irritable like those few days.

I've learned I really like cauliflower "rice" (although the rest of my family, not so much...), almond butter, sweet potato hash browns, and snacking on cashews or olives.  I've learned that I have the tendency to want to snack all afternoon long, so have had to work on just having one filling snack to get me through (I feel hungry a lot between meals - I think this has more to do with the fact that I am breastfeeding, because I do fill up on meat/veggies at my meals).  I've known that I am a bored eater and a stress eater.  Not being able to just grab SOMEthing to eat has been good for me - it puts me in check and makes me question why I am wanting to eat between meals.  Is my body really hungry or do I just want to be putting something in my mouth?

Some new recipes we've tried in the past few weeks: Spaghetti Squash Carbonara, Stuffed Green Peppers, Roast Chicken, Kale Chips, Mashed Cauliflower

I have just over a week to go to finish my Whole30 adventure.  I've been asked if I will keep eating this way once my month is complete.  The answer is no.  There is no way I can realistically keep dairy and grains and some sugar out of my diet forever.  I DO feel great, but I love food way too much, to be honest.  I would much rather work on portion control and moderation.  I know I will take some of what I've learned and use it.  I also think that it will be interesting as I re-introduce foods, to see how my body responds.  I think we will eat more veggies and fruits, and I will probably eat less grains and dairy and sugar, but I know I can't wait to indulge in a few Christmas cookies or a butterhorn roll over the holidays!

To hear about the beginning of my Whole30 adventure, check out week 1.