Whole 30. Day 3-9.

STILL!

Boom. I am over a week in to this insanity called Whole30. It does humor me to hear some of you ask about this journey. Some in doubt, skepticism, or just plain curiosity. For those of your doubters, I am still in. But as I enter into Day 9, I must confess that to celebrate the multiple pairs of pants that are now too big (Now I understand why my friend, EO, had to have so many of her clothes altered, this venture can get a little pricey.), I thought I would take a sip of the sweet nectar called Diet Coke after church on Sunday. A bit of bubbly to cheers, right?! What a mistake. Instantly, the burn, the bubbles, the guilt and the shame commenced. It was NOT worth it. Water was quickly my chaser to such madness. I don't know what I was thinking.

I am now able to eat and prepare real food without hesitation (I am definitely a better cook after much practice in the recent months/year). And as much as I craved beer and chocolate on Day 5 (and still do), I am craving real food more. I drive past my favorite fast food joints and I give them the Stenson stare. I am not wanting to pig out on crap full of preservatives and fat-filled nonsense. HOWEVER, I am about to embark on a trip to visit my favorite potato people in northern Idaho. And there just so happens to be an amazing hot spot called Zips. I am already confessing to the upcoming cheatness called delicious chicken strips, fries, and huckleberry shakes (See the word berry? Let's just focus on that part).

So for those of you interested in this madness, check out the website to get started: www.whole30.com. It is also really helpful to find great recipes and boards on Pinterest (I have a board on Pinterest if you want to follow it too. Helpful ideas, people). The book is also really great, called "It Starts With Food." It is really the method behind the madness.

Boom! Keep eating real, people.

Whole30. Day 2.

Breakfast.

Whole30. Day 2.
Breakfast: Eggs (over easy). Grilled steak. Avocado. Cilantro. Onions. = Heaven on a plate (and kept me full!)
Lunch: Grilled steak salad with strawberries, mushrooms, onions and hardboiled egg.
Dinner: Baked chicken with bacon. Broccoli.
Drink: So much water throughout the day. I have cucumber and lime in my water mostly. I am definitely missing beverage choices. I crave a soda like nobody's business.
Snack: Banana with almond butter.

Dinner. 

This was much more successful than Day 1 as I figured out how to be less STARVING. It totally helps doing this concept with Sarah, and also with the great support of the folks from The Warehouse (my church). I love that I can pick their brains and see what they are eating, feeling, managing.

Thanks, Carly! 

I felt a bit more energetic on Day 2, but that could've just been a change in attitude as I have hit a crossroad in recent days and I am choosing to take the better path. As much I want certain things, I relinquish control. Things will happen when they need to. I feel like I am finally putting together some significant pieces of this journey and it is starting to make sense. I have much to be thankful for as I have a new car. A great place to live. New opportunities. A growing business with Studio Black Sheep. And a new hair style to accompany it all the change (Amazing what happens when you give your hairstylist carte blanche. You walk out with 6 less inches and a different color(s)--Carly gave me one of her best styles this week. She is the greatest. You need a good stylist? Call her.).

I often barely recognize myself as the only thing that has stayed the same is Grandma Stella. And even she is working on being an awesome dog, as if that is even possible. She is so incredibly social now. She is playing really well with others. And she is still snoring to be cute. Her only downfall is a pending surgery to fix her eye and to take out a tumor from her belly. (That will not be a fun day). She still likes to rock the homeless look, no matter how hard I try and shake that for her, she seems to like her hair best that way. And the little devil still talks back. She absolutely adores Sarah. I think she is working her way to Dave. I think they have a secret love-hate relationship. Overall, I think she misses snuggling on the couch (it is against the rules, which is good for her) and I know she often waits at the door in hopes that she will get a visitor. I swear, she is such a vital part of my life. Sounds so lame when people say dogs are the best of friends, but this puppy is my world. She is one of the faithful and has been a constant in the midst of change. In my humble opinion, dogs are one of God's best ideas.

I will soon be floating an Idaho river if I get a good price on a plane ticket. I can't wait to kick it with my potato people. And then I will come back hitting the ground running. Good things are in the works.

Whole30. Day 1.

This is the start of all things madness. I am talking real madness (like REEEAAAL). My friend Sarah and I are embarking in the craziness called Whole30. And today martked Day 1.

What is Whole30, you may ask? It is eating real food for 30 days. No sugar. No carbs. No fun. Just kidding. It is fun. So far. But I have been advised that by Day 4 or 5, I will want to kill all things. That'll be fun.

Whole30 is a reset to the metabolism. It is definitely a diet of discipline. It is eating in the manner that God created. For us to treat our bodies like the temples they are, but also to ditch the nonsense preservatives and fillers that destroy our body. As a cancer survivor, it is all the more reason to consider every bit of food I eat so that my body is operating at its best. In the next 30 days, I will eat plenty of eggs, lots of protein, and the fridge is filled with color. I love it.

I am encouraged by the way Whole30 friends are feeling (and looking). So, as life is about developing better patterns and habits, here starts one of healthy eating. Real food. Real life. Real.