Whole30 FINISHED!!

We are done with our third round of Whole30.... Woo hoo!

The reason I decided to do a third round is because I was just looking for something to jump start myself in the process of getting back on track. A terrible appetite during pregnancy plus a horrible sweet tooth from nursing meant I wasn't nourishing my body the way I needed to. I knew that Whole30 was just what I needed.

So here I am, the day after finishing round three. I honestly feel amazing. I feel the best I have in months. This program is something I take seriously because of how well it works and what a difference it makes in all areas of my life. I wanted to share with you my results.

Physical:

-down 13lbs

-12 inches lost

-improved under eye circles 

-healthy looking skin

- a more energized appearance 

-no bloating

-more defined muscle tone 

-less knee/hip pain

**While not my skin, my son's skin (I'm breastfeeding) also improved drastically! 

Mood:

-Less stressed

-Happier

-Fewer sugar cravings

-Less reliance on the scale

-Feeling in control of my food

Food Behaviors:

-Practicing mindful eating

-Not using food as reward/punishment/comfort 

Energy:

-Energy levels are even

- More productive during the day

-No mid-day slump 

Exercise:

-Increased consistency

- Exercising longer/harder

- Improved pace

Lifestyle:

-More knowledgeable about nutrition

-Other health goals created

-Others come to me for health/nutrition advice

That's a pretty long list, huh? I love that it's not just about weight/inches lost. When I say it changed my life, I'm not exaggerating. I'm a completely different person from who I was before I started my first round. I'm grateful for that. 

So what are my plans now? Well, I'm going to stick as close to Paleo as possible. I know now that's how I function best. I am planning on staying away from dairy for the most part (I have a few exceptions) as well as gluten. I will be limiting but not eliminating non gluten grains and legumes  because they just don't make me feel my best. I don't think deprivation is a good thing but it's easy for me to get carried away with sugar, so I have a few rules for myself. First I evaluate why I want something--- emotions? Hunger? Just because it's there? If I feel like it's worth eating, I make sure it's the BEST version. It's gotta be worth it. I'm not going to waste my time eating crap cookies or ice cream or whatever. I also know it can't come into my house because I have a hard time putting the brakes on. As for alcohol,  I'm still going to enjoy a glass of wine now and then 😉

Is this plan concrete? Nope. It will change and expand and change again overtime. But it's in place to help me continue to be successful. 

Now I'll raise my mug of bulletproof coffee and say cheers to another successful Whole30! 

PS if you're even THINKING about doing a Whole30, please give it a shot! You won't regret it. 

Mother runner

I have never been a runner. I dreaded Fridays in gym class because I could never run the mile. I would swim, bike, elliptical, etc. all day long but I could. not. run. 

 In January of 2013, after losing a significant amount of weight, I decided to give running a try. I completed the couch25k program and suddenly... I was a runner. I loved the challenge of it. I loved how it made me feel. I loved how it only required putting one foot in front of the other. By May, I could run up to 6 miles at a time. Pretty big accomplishment for someone who wasn't a runner, right? I ran multiple races that summer and it was such an amazing accomplishment for me. It was something I never could have imagined. 

In early fall, I found out I was pregnant. In fact, the most recent 5k I had completed I ran while about 6 weeks along. I had every intention of continuing but I had a little medical scare and my OB said no running. While it was so worth it to keep my baby safe, I really missed running. As you can imagine, after my daughter was born I was itching to get back out there as soon as I got the go ahead. I went for a run right after my "all clear!" appointment and it was hell. My body was on fire, I felt like I was trudging through mud with cinder blocks on my feet, and I barely made it a mile. I kept at it though, at least as much as I could with  a new baby. I ran with her most of the time which made things even more difficult. But still, I pressed on. By May of 2015 I felt like I was ready to do a 5k so we signed up to do one as a family. I will never forget the excitement I felt as we crossed the finish line! I felt like I was back in the game. 

About a month later, I found out I was pregnant again. I was still running and I was registered for another 5k. It turns out the same thing that happened in my first pregnancy happened again and I was told no running. So I walked the 5k and sidelined myself once more. It was an easy decision. Obviously the health of my babies mean more to me than running ever will. I ended up not being very active the last half of my pregnancy. I was HUGE, all belly, and it was just hard to do anything. Things got harder after he was born. Not to over share, but I gave birth to a 10lb baby in seven minutes. My body had been through a lot of stress and I was feeling it. My hips hurt all of the time which pretty made running impossible. I also have a toddler who does not want to be strapped into a stroller. In early summer, when it was cooler in the evenings, I would load both kids up and do one lap of the neighborhood. Mostly to get out of the house for a little bit and to get some exercise. It's about a mile walk and it was torture. My whole body hurt, my kids were cranky, and it was just not an enjoyable experience. So I stopped. I moved my workouts indoors and we stopped going out for our evening walks (it was also getting to be super humid in the evenings... To add to the miserableness.) Honestly, it was a very depressing time for me. I can't pinpoint what it was exactly but I just did not feel like me.

By the end of June, I decided I was sick of feeling that way. I forced myself into getting back into regularly working out and we started Whole30 again. Slowly I started to feel "normal." Then my son, who was now 6 months old, decided to start waking up at 6am. I was getting so frustrated because that was my workout time and then I realized... I can get some quiet time AND a workout in if I take him out for a walk. So he would wake up, I'd feed him, and then I'd load him into the stroller so we could head out. We started slow at first, just walking a mile or so. After a couple of days I realized my hip wasn't hurting as much. We started walking two miles, then three miles, then slowly adding jogging intervals. We would get home and I would be sweaty and tired but I also felt so empowered. Slowly but surely, I was getting better. I was getting stronger. 

And then this morning. I ran the most I've run in over a year and I could almost feel the heaviness lift from my body. It as a heaviness I almost didn't realize was there. As I listened to the sound of my feet hitting the pavement, the stroller wheels whirring along, I felt free. Free from the pressure to look a certain way after having a baby, free from the depression and anxiety that has been plaguing me the last four months, free from the worry that I would never get back to feeling like myself. Because in that moment, I felt like myself for the first time in a long time. I started crying as we pulled into the driveway just from the release of it all. 

One of the hardest things about becoming a mom is rediscovering who I am. Yes, I'm a mom. But I'm not JUST a mom and I needed to be reminded of that. I'm also Holly who loves to dance crazy and watch One Tree Hill over and over and learn new things about health and nutrition and read Nicholas Sparks books even though I know how they will end and eat weird things because I'm not afraid to try them and exercise because I genuinely like to move my body and the list goes on. I'm still working on how to be both of those people at the same time, discovering how to make sure I don't get lost again.  I'm getting there.  I'm mom first but Holly is still in there and it was really nice to see her today ❤️

Work in progress.

Tonight I was thinking about why I work so hard to lead this life of health. I think it's good to reflect on our goals and what drives us and it's been a while for me. If you would have asked me a year ago, I probably would have said weight loss. I had a number on the scale I wanted to reach and I did. I've spent a lot of time reading and researching and refocusing since then and I've realized I want it to be about more than that. Numbers on a scale are just numbers. I've reached the same weight twice, before and after pregnancy and I can tell you I felt different both times. The numbers were the same but my health was completely different. What I really want is to feel strong. Healthy. Nourished. Balanced. I want how I feel inside to be reflected outside. I would be lying if I said I didn't care about losing weight. On top of nourishing my body, I do want to lose weight. I know the extra weight, even if it did come from growing beautiful babies, makes me feel sluggish and tired. I just don't have a number in mind. I don't do the things I do JUST to lose weight. I eat well for sustained energy and good health. I workout so that I can be strong and energize my body. Losing weight happens naturally from that and I know what my body feels like when it is functioning optimally. THAT is what I work for. Not a specific weight or size. My ultimate goal is to feel good about myself. And I'm not quitting when I get there.    That might be 10lbs heavier than my "recommended" weight with a tummy that has grown two babies and I'm pretty sure will never be flat again. I've accepted that and I know if I feel my best, that's what matters most.  I'm going to constantly work to make sure my body stays at its best. 

Something else that has changed the way I see things? My daughter. Almost every morning she asks if we can exercise because she thinks it is FUN. And that is how it should be!! Moving your body shouldn't be a chore, it should be something you enjoy doing. If I can show her now that fitness is fun and it makes our bodies strong, my hope is that she will continue to develop the habit as a teenager and adult. I want her to have a healthy relationship with food and fitness and I believe that it starts for children when they are young. I want her to understand that food can either nourish her body or slow it down and take that knowledge with her as she makes her own food choices. The same goes for my son, although he is only 6 months old so we aren't quite to that point yet. My hope for both of my children is that they learn to respect their bodies through what they eat and how they treat themselves. It's my job to set that example for them. 

I'm still very much a work in progress. However I know that every positive choice I make brings me closer to a happier, healthier me. 

And you know the saying--- when mama is happy, everyone is happy 😉

Whole30- Week 4 (we are almost done!!)

We had a busy weekend so I kind of dropped the ball on my Week 4 meal plan.... Oops!! So here it is 😄

I'm pretty sure I'm I've shared all of the recipes for our dinners so far, but if I missed one please feel free to message me for the link. 

I'm proud to say that even after a very busy weekend, we managed to stay completely on track. We spent a lot of time in downtown Cleveland so we either brought snacks or found restaurants that offered compliant food. It's way easier to find places to eat downtown than it is closer to home (except for Chipotle.)

I am so excited to share our progress at the end of this week! We are feeling awesome and definitely enjoying the rewards of Whole30.