Whole 30 Daily Suggestions...

I'm getting the Whole 30 Daily via email every morning and let me tell you, I wish I'd had it the first time around.  It's chock full of great information about how I may be feeling and what I can do about it.  You can sign up on www.whole9life.com (for a one time fee of $14.95) if you're interested or need some additional coaching.

This morning, the focus is on hunger vs. cravings and how to tell when you're hungry vs when you're bored, or lonely or pissed off.  There are also a few tips to keep you committed to this journey.

From the Whole 30 Daily (my comments are in parentheses and italics):

• Keep tempting food and drink out of your house completely.  If it's not there, you can't indulge.  (I decided that my kids didn't need this crap either so we're keeping it out of the house completely.  They are old enough to  make their own decisions about whether or not they want to get junk food.  I don't have to be an enabler but I still need to be a good influence.)
• Enlist a supportive friend or loved one to hold you to your commitment.  Make it fun by betting on your success - if you finish your Whole 30, the other one has to buy you that new pair of jeans or that new fitness DVD you've been eyeing. (For me, that person is the hubs.  I have a goal weight in mind and when I get there, I'm going to buy a very expensive pair of kick ass jeans.  You guys are also my supportive friends and loved ones.  You all get the whole, unadulterated truth NO MATTER WHAT.)
• Tell on yourself. Before you open the box of cookies or pour that glass of wine, jump onto the Whole 30 forum or call your best friend and announce, "I'm planning to go off the Whole 30."  Telling someone will force you to really think about what you're about to do and is often all you need to put the cookies down.  (You can email me - my email address is in my profile - or just post on this blog or your own blog.  If I know our blogging community, you're going to get a lot of support and encouragement NOT to open that bag of chocolate chips cookies.)
• Check yourself into "rehab", if necessary.  During the toughest days when the cravings are th worst, don't allow yourself to accept dinner or happy hour invitations, and don't participate in activities that revolve around eating or drinking less healthy food.  (Come on people...this is not new for most of us.  Many of us gave up drinking for God's sake!  Some of us have quit smoking!  We KNOW how this works.  If we really, really want this...there is nothing that can stop us!  We're fucking warriors!  We've got this thing!)

I do want to suggest that if you are new to sobriety and you're finding this challenge difficult.  DON'T CONTINUE.  Your sobriety is the most important thing right now and this shit is hard (at first).  If you have to give in to something, do not pick up a drink.  Eat the damn cookies.  There will be plenty of opportunities to get your diet in order after you have some sober time under your belt.  Nothing, and I mean nothing, is more important than staying sober.  The end.

Now for my own confession.  I'm finding it a little difficult to get back on the band wagon.  The hubs brought Oreos in the house the other day (they were on SALE...wtf?) and I'll admit to eating some of them a lot of them.  That's my only cheat and they're gone now so I'll be okay going forward.  I'm going to get on the scale and see what damage I did while I was on "vacation" as well.  And my cold is better so that should help.  Enough excuses.  I fucked up and I'm back on track.  'Nuff said.

Now for the hard part...If I'm brutally honest, the Oreos didn't taste like they used to.  That made me sad (in a way).  And then it reaffirmed that the shit isn't what I thought it was and I don't need it in my body.  (Of course it may just be that my taste buds are a mess because of the cold...but we're going to go with the Whole 30 thing being the reason.)

Hopefully you are all hanging in there.  If you are and you've discovered a good thing to eat (like Annette's olives or Amy's Chocolate Chili with avocados) or a strategy that keeps you on track SHARE IT!  We can all use an extra push.  If you, like me, have "slipped" and need to get it back together then share that too!  We're here for you and will only give love and encouragement.  No judgement here!

Namaste