DAY 15! HALFWAY THERE

I cannot express how good it feels...I am so thankful to have found Whole30 and to be halfway through the journey. I have so much support from Ryan and my friend who is on the journey with me and I could not be happier. I thought it would be hard and I was intimated and scared to begin, but I feel like I have conquered so much in 15 days mentally and physically.

In 15 days I have learned to eat fat...Fat does not make me fat! I have embraced full fat products (avocados, oil, dressing); I have stopped weighing and counting and worrying. I feel free. I do not feel like food is the enemy of it is something to be afraid of. I love food and other diets and programs just made food the enemy and something that needs to be restricted. But Whole30 has given me the ability to appreciate food and love and understand what I am putting in my body.

I have never been happier - I feel happy, I feel energized and strong. This isn't just about my clothes fitting better (and some pants even being too big now), this is about how I feel and I feel great! I also feel empowered - free from a sugar addiction that never allowed me to say no. But now I can confidently go in a room and say "no thank you" to sweets. That's not to say I don't want it, but I know that I don't need it (and I know the difference now). Obviously after Whole30 I will plan to have a paleo brownie or cupcake or coconut bread but my tastebads have changed, my mind has changed and I know that these sweet treats are not needed every day.

I used food a a reward - do good at at something, celebrate something - it all revolved around food and rewarding myself with food was just poisoning my body. Instead I need to see food as energy not as something I earn. I don't earn a meal or a dessert just because I do something good one day. I need to learn to find other ways to reward myself like a manicure, a new pair of shoes, workout clothes - things that make me look and feel better. Food is not a reward.

If this is what I can learn in 15 days I can't wait to see what I learn in another 15!

Lunch today was a fresh mixed green salad with walnuts, eggplant, tomatoes, asparagus, carrots and broccoli. And I had one last spice rubbed chicken thigh that I brought to cut up and add to it.

Unfortunately, I spent most of the day reworking my weekly menu so I was only looking at food all afternoon and I guess I felt "hungry" so I had my first snack in 15 days. It was a couple of pieces of apricots and dates and a few almonds. I'm not totally upset with what I ate but I am upset that I let myself snack. I should have gotten water or tea, but I let the sugar win. Even though it is natural sugar, I still gave in to the 3:30pm crash. Well good to know I can't look at recipes at 3pm because all I will think about the rest of the afternoon is food!