It Has Been One Week Since I Finished the Whole 30 and I ...

It has been one week since I finished the Whole 30 and I have added all food groups back in. Fortunately, I haven’t had any bad reactions. Last Monday for dinner my boyfriend took me to a new restaurant (new to us) called Babe’s here in the desert. I ordered ribs and French fries. I enjoyed every bite and I took half of it home. After dinner we got Cold Stone. One of the examples on Whole30.com for re-introduction of dairy was ice cream. I didn’t feel guilty at all for eating that Birthday Cake flavored ice cream. I told myself, “This will be good for you. You will be able to see if you have a food allergy.” I was worried I’d have a stomach ache later that evening but I didn’t. I felt fine.
I ate sourdough bread on Thursday evening. That was my first time re-introducing gluten. I wasn’t as nervous about bread because I’ve never really had any problem with bread. Except for the fact that I love it and I wish I didn’t. I was all right once again. No reaction to gluten.
I had a little creamer in my coffee that had soy in it and I was completely fine again. I did have an after taste in my mouth though. One thing I did not miss while on the Whole 30.
The only problem I had during my re-introduction was that I had no desire to eat meat. I don’t know what it was. Maybe I ate too much of it on the Whole 30.
I did have meat yesterday. Finally. We were in Temecula for a visit and we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Mr. Kabob’s. I ordered my favorite plate with two chicken kabobs and one filet mignon kabob. It was so good. So all is right again. I was missing that lean protein in my diet last week. I relied too much on yogurt and protein powder.
I’ll be honest, there are many things I miss about the Whole 30. But the great thing is that I am able to keep the things that I do miss in my life. I can continue to drink my coffee with my homemade creamer if I’d like. I can continue to eat mostly meats, veggies and fruits. The Whole 30 is not a diet or a fast, it is something that can be integrated into your every day life.
I want to talk real quick about my goals now that I am off the Whole 30. I will definitely continue eating very clean, with the occasional splurge. Nothing too crazy though. That Cold Stone I had last week will last me a good six months before I’ll crave it again. I just feel much better when I eat well so clean eating will definitely remain a part of my lifestyle.
I also want to start running again. I allowed myself a long break after my half marathon last year but it’s time to get back into it. I’m not a huge cardio fan anymore but I can’t deny the benefits of running. I’m going to start slow though. Something similar to the Couch to 5K program. This morning I did an hour on the treadmill. I ran for 5 minutes and then walked for 5 minutes for that hour. It’s hard to go from completing a half marathon to struggling when running 5 minutes but I have to ease myself into it. I don’t want to overdue it or burn myself out.
My main goal has to do with lifting weights. I can not express to you how strongly I feel about weight lifting now. I love it and I love seeing results. Yesterday I flexed for my dad and he was very impressed by my progress. I can’t wait to see where I’m at in six months. Nothing seems out of reach now. I just have to work hard and stay focused.
I came across the photo on the left today. This was taken in 2011 and I was probably around the same weight I am now. I pretty much lived on the elliptical. I hadn’t started running yet and I never picked up any weights.
The photo on the right was taken today. That is me now. I am no where near where I’d like to be. I know I can be so much better. But I can’t deny that I’m better than the girl I was in 2011. Even though the scale hasn’t changed much I have obviously slimmed down a lot and I am so proud of that.
Lift those weights, ladies!