Know Your Body

 I've worked so hard to learn to listen to what my body is asking for with regards to fuel and movement. I spent about 2 months leading up to Christmas ignoring the fueling part of that by eating crap and drinking like it was my job. NOT good for me. I decided that another Whole 30 round was the way to go. I needed clear, solid guidelines on how to eat. The first week was typical...ups and downs. This second week has been pretty good. I'm sleeping better (no wine induced night sweats), my weight is down (almost 6 pounds of bloat), I don't have mid-day energy slumps and my mood is better.

 BUT today, on day 16, I've decided I'm done. Why you ask?  Because the restrictiveness of this eating style is making me really really stressed AND because my stomach feels like shit. I haven't been able to make myself eat all the meals I've made. I've spent countless hours, dollars and energy learning what's right for my body. High fat, lower carb doesn't seem to be making me feel as good as it does for some. I know that eating the same stuff over and over again leads to my body reacting negatively to those foods (nuts, garlic, certain greens). My nose rash is back. My stomach has been hurting. I've done Whole 30 at least 5 times in the past few years. I know what I react to. I don't feel like I need to cut out items that aren't an issue for me.

 My body was begging for something besides meat, fat and veggies. It's been begging for 3 days and I've kept ignoring it. I realized that this sort of behavior, ignoring my body's demands for healthy fuel, is ridiculous! It's what I wanted to get away from! It feels like too much of the "all or nothing" mentality I don't want to subscribe to in my life. What I really need to work on is my relationship with food and drink. I need to be able to make good decisions for myself and to listen to when something is too much or not enough. I can't do that when I'm following a plan like this.

  Yes, I love Whole 30. I do think it's great when you are trying to learn what sort of typical American diet foods might be issues for you. I think it's great when you need a reset. I just know, right now, it's not what my body needs most. Yes, I could push through and see it to the end but I don't think that's the right choice for me right now.

 You do you! I'll be here eating the most amazing bowl of Sheep's yogurt, raw honey and crap free Maple Pecan cereal. I just heard my body sigh with happiness and I feel like, though I just worked out a couple of hours ago, I could go run right now. That's telling me that I'm making the right choice. :)