Hey there and TGIF!!! Whew. I had quite the week in my classroom, but I’ll save all those thoughts for another time. Today I’m jetting off to The Big Easy with my BFF for my 25 year reunion at Tulane! Woo hoo!! I haven’t been to New Orleans since Katrina, so I’m anxious to see how it’s changed. AND Tulane has a brand new football stadium so we’ve got some fun in store this weekend. You may or may not see some shenanigans on Instagram. 😉
Now! For a Whole30 update. The hubs and I completed our 30 days of Whole30 on Tuesday, so Wednesday was the big weigh-in. I’ll share those results in a minute, but I first wanted to share some observations.
We both feel like a million bucks. Seriously. We feel leaner for sure, but we also feel healthy. I am virtually headache free, which is saying something. I was battling almost daily headaches of some sort. My digestive tract is working properly for the first time in years. I’m sleeping like a log at night, even when I have to get up to use the bathroom a time or two. I no longer have the overwhelming urge to nap and/or snack after school. Winning, y’all. The hubs has gotten rid of lots of aches and pains and had blood work done on Monday that we’re anxious to get back. He battles cholesterol issues, so we’re curious to see if this has helped with that, too.
This was NOT HARD. It takes preparation and dedication, sure. I kept my refrigerator and freezer stocked with good options to keep temptation at bay. I was Googling Whole30 compliant recipes for sure. But beyond that this was not hard to do.
We never felt deprived. If anything, I eat MORE now than I ever have. See Exhibit A below (last night’s supper). It’s just MORE of the best possible stuff. We stuffed ourselves every meal with meats, veggies, salads. During the day we snacked on fruits, nuts, hard boiled eggs if we needed to. I had one passing craving for a slice of pizza, but we seriously never felt like we were missing out on anything.
We’re going to continue because we feel so good we don’t want to stop. Now, let’s be real. I WILL be enjoying a few glasses of wine and some good New Orleans cooking this weekend. And I won’t turn up my nose at my MIL’s Thanksgiving spread. But we’ve agreed that we can easily eat the Whole30 way 95% of the time. And if we need to reset after the holidays, we’ll be ready to do so.
Whole30 pot roast
Ready for the results?
The hubs has lost 17 lbs (though it looks more like 25, in all honesty). I’ve lost 12 lbs and am back in my blue jeans from about 10 years ago (don’t worry — they’re not “mom” jeans!). While the hubs would like to lose more, I’m happy with what I’ve lost and would like to maintain now. And something interesting… I only exercised FIVE times in the 30 days. Now, I’m a life long exerciser, but I was being uber cautious with my healing foot. So moving forward, I’ll be exercising much more regularly. I’m optimistic that the Whole30 plus regular exercise is a winning formula for me.
So we’ll see how our post-Whole30 world goes over the next month or two and reassess after the holidays! When I think about the reason I took this on to begin with, I’m so happy that I made the choice to improve my health. Because you know what? My emotional health has benefited, too. I’m feeling better equipped to handle some situations at work now and my creativity has rebounded (hallelujah!). And how nice to have the physical energy to tackle creative projects?! Especially this time of year!
Okay, so ready for some Christmas Eye Candy? Last weekend when my parents were in town, my mom wanted to check out one of her favorite local home decor/gift store. I’ve posted about Casabella before, but I snapped some fun inspiration photos and thought maybe you’d enjoy seeing them…
I’m drawn to all the rustic chic decor this year… and this motivates me to sort through what I have, what can be revamped, and what I’m willing to part with. Good start, right?
Just a reminder to enter my Redeemed Ware giveaway (pretty please?)!! Click HERE to comment and enter (and pick up your discount code!)… there’s not many entries so your odds of winning are GREAT!
I hope you have a blessed weekend… I’ll be back next week with a new recipe and a new DIY for you, plus more gift inspiration. Have a good one and laissez les bon temps roule!!
i don’t think you had 12 pounds to lose! but good for you! 🙂
What awesome results!! This was so motivating to read!! Lately I’ve slid back into some old habits and forgot how good that whole30 feeling is. I’m curious to hear how it affected your husbands blood work too! Amazing what a difference 30 days makes!
Heidi, thanks for sharing your results. They are awesome! I have upped my gym traing to 4 days a week and am working on the food part. It sounds like whole30 may be just what I need.
Congratulations to you and your hubby 🙂 I hope you have an awesome weekend, enjoy!