#Whole30 Round 2 Kickoff

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Happy September & Happy #Whole30 Kickoff!

Immediately following completion of our first #Whole30 (May 1, 2016), Hubs and I agreed that we definitely wanted to do another round sometime this year. Not yet confident in our ability to adhere to the program rules over the food-centric Thanksgiving holiday, we decided September was our best bet for a successful Round 2. So off we go on our second Whole30 adventure!
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During our first round, I relied heavily on the resources and downloads available at the Whole30 website. One resource I failed to mention during our first go-round was the #Whole30 Non-Scale Victory (#NSV) Checklist – available for download here. The NSV Checklist is a 2-page list of positive results (separate from actual pounds or kg. lost) achieved by Whole30 completers. I encourage you to check it out if you’ve never seen the NSV Checklist. Folks have reported some amazing achievements like “Whiter Teeth;” “Looking Younger;” “Longer, Stronger Nails;” and “Increased Libido.”

As a motivator, I reviewed my NSV Checklist results from our first round. Then, I made list of the #NSV items I hope to achieve this round. Here’s my list of benefits achieved during our April (2016) Whole30:
1. Less dimpled skin
2. Flatter stomach
3. Leaner overall appearance
4. Clothes fit better – this was huge!
As pictured below, I was (finally) able to fit into 2 pair of my pre-pregnancy jeans for the first time in a year!

Woohoo! Back in my fav jeans!!! (excuse the messy bedroom)

Woohoo! Back in my fav jeans!!!
(excuse the messy bedroom and my unattractive socks)

5. Less bloating
5. Feeling more confident in my appearance
6. Fewer PMS symptoms
7. A more regular monthly cycle
8. Less stomach pain
9. Less gas
10. Reduction in food allergies (symptoms)
11. Improved blood sugar regulation
12. Less stressed
13. Fewer carb cravings
14. Improved body image
15. Improved self-confidence
16. Friends and family came to me seeking food and healthy lifestyle advice or healthy recipes
17. Eating to satiety
18. Listening to my body
19. No longer afraid of dietary fat (this was a BIG paradigm shift for me!)
20. No longer using food as a reward
21. More nutrition in my diet
22. Food no longer had unwanted “side effects” (similar to #11)
23. Energy levels more even
24. I no longer got cranky when I needed to eat
25. I needed less caffeine
26. I became more consistent with exercise
27. I discovered lots of new recipes (see list at bottom of post)
28. Our meal prep was more organized and efficient
29. Our healthy eating habits brought us closer as a family
30. People asked what I was doing differently (esp. how I lost the baby weight)
31. Feeling in control of food (not the other way around)

Wow! That’s a whole lotta benefits. Just typing them out makes me really excited to see what successes we’ll achieve this time. In keeping with Hubs’ recommendation‘ to set goals before undertaking any lifestyle changes, I’ve identified a few more potential results from the NSV Checklist I’d like to see happen this time. Here they are:
• More energy to play with our daughter (this is always my #1 goal as she’s always our #1 priority)
• Improved attention span
• Fewer ADHD symptoms
• Fall asleep more easily
• More energy to exercise – I’m hoping to add a walking regimen to my existing routine of MUTU + 45-60 min yoga/daily
• Be outside more
• Create and try new recipes
• No more under-eye circles
• Brighter eyes
• Clothes fit better – I still can’t fit into several pair of pre-pregnancy jeans.
• Looking younger
• Fewer seasonal allergies
• Less fatigue
• Practice mindful eating

Speaking of mindfulness and improved mental focus, I’m adding a goal not listed on the NSV Checklist. By then end of September, I want to be practicing EmWave for at least 15 minutes each day.
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EmWave is a mental training product of the HeartMath company – available as an iPhone app, a stand-alone handheld device, or computer program teaches you to use “Balanced Breathing” to normalize your and balance out your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, thereby improving your focus and attention. If you’re unfamiliar with Emwave, check out their website for more information on the science and research behind this training, the benefits available from just a few minutes of practice each day.

Wisdom for the Day:
“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.” ~Job 13:11 (New International Version)
Read more here.

Beauty Resource for the Day:
Ever wonder why all the beauty bloggers and social media makeup gurus have such huge beautiful eyes? Are they all just genetically gifted? Nope! They use special eye-tricking techniques to make their eyes appear larger. In this video the absolutely stunning Stephanie Lange shares her 8 best tricks for making eyes look bigger. It’s worth the less than 4 minutes of your time just to hear her adorable accent!

Be Sure to Check Out These #Whole30 Recipes from Daily Beauty Wisdom:
#Whole30 Creamy Spinach Stuffed Turkey or Pork Roulade
#Whole30 Veggie Puffs for Kids & Adults
Whole30-Compliant Sloppy Joes on Sweet Potato Toasts
Super Simple & Sumptuous Sweet Potatoes
Stupid Easy Paleo Cran-Cherry Sauce #WHOLE30 #Vegan #Raw
QUICK & EASY BEAUTIFYING PAPAYA SALAD #WHOLE30 #PALEO #VEGAN
Presto Peachy Lime Vinaigrette #WHOLE30-compliant #Vegan #Paleo #Raw
Split Second Strawberry Vinaigrette #WHOLE30 Compliant (#raw, #paleo & #vegan)
Fix-It-And-Forget-It: Simply Beautiful Southern Greens Crockpot #WHOLE30 Compliant
Quick & Easy Paleo Lemon Garlic Salad Dressing #WHOLE30 Compliant
Chicken Tri-Almandine Casserole
WHOLE30 Stuffed Zucchini 2 Ways
Easy Cheezy Chicken & Broccoli Soup with Crispy Potato Croutons

WHOLE30 Day #2 – Busted!

So our WHOLE30 adventure continues. I’m embarrassed to admit that it only took 2 days to reveal some rather ugly aspects of my character. I woke up to the baby crying and fantasies of chemical-laced coffee creamer and artificial sweetener. So I “generously” offered to let Hubs sleep in while I got up to take care of our baby. Even as I prepped her bottle, I knew what I was going to do and planned to very quietly retrieve the sweeteners out of the corner of the pantry where I’d hidden them just days before.

A few minutes later, Baby Girl changed, fed, burped and happy, I sprung into action. I brewed up my coffee and stirred in that delicious white “creamer” powder full of mystery and unpronounceable chemicals. Yum! I paused. “Hmm, better at least try to use fewer packets of sweetener. I’ll go with half.” I then experienced momentary guilt for cheating on our commitment, but I tell myself Hubs will understand. Didn’t he describe black coffee with no creamer and no sweetener as “like drinking a cup of fresh brewed hatred”? Yeah, he’d understand. Besides, he won’t know.

I’d just sat and taken my first sip when Hubs came out of the bedroom. He took one look at my cup and launched into a lecture about all the reasons we chose to do the WHOLE30; how we want to be healthier for our daughter; how the current discomfort is only temporary and will result in long term benefits. He reminded me of all the things we had discussed before we decided to take this journey. And I felt guilty. But I also felt uncertain. Perhaps I was never really committed to this process; otherwise I would not have kept those items so readily accessible. This reminded me of the scripture below. As a result of this lesson, I’ve had to rethink my commitment. I’ve also realized that we need to be willing to totally dispense with those items or habits we wish to get rid of. It’s not enough to kind of commit to stopping while still permitting easy access to those things, while still keeping them around. Too bad for me it took a little shaming to learn that lesson.

“…and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”
~Romans 13:14 (NASB)
Read more here.

WHOLE30 Meal of the Day (dinner)
Simple Roasted Chicken with Caribbean Roasted Root Veggies & Salad

Recommended Resources:
Functional Dad
MUTU System to Lose Your Mummy Tummy

Hi I'm Karen.

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