i keep referencing my ‘soft whole 30,’ but i realized i never really framed up what that was. maybe part of that is intentional, part unintentional, but i think if i’m going to be setting out to clean up my act for the next month, i should really lay the groundwork. you know the saying “take what you like, leave the rest?” that’s how i’m treating the whole 30, at least for now. i’m not ready and able to give up everything it requires for you, but i do want to take some of the components and improve on my health for the next month.
take: more whole foods
“duh.” but really, i’ve come to lean on protein bars in a way that i treat them like a dessert. not that it’s bad, because it could be worse, but i don’t think all of the ingredients are agreeing with me in as high of quantities as i’m ingesting them. so i’m trying to eat more whole foods, like eggs/avocados/nuts, to be full, in the hopes that my body won’t start screaming for sugar after every meal. which it does right now. i LOVE sugar and all things sweet. my sweet tooth is OC and i want to rein it in.
take: cut out all the weird stuff
i like the idea of not ingesting things that i can’t pronounce. as in, the weird/fake/man-made stuff, not acai. i’ve heard/read enough about how dangerous all of these man-made chemicals are, know about the bliss point and why companies are doubling down on that, and have my own anecdotal evidence to see how different i feel when i’m eating better. my plan is to use the food list from the whole30 WHERE POSSIBLE and try to sub my snacks and meals for even healthier versions of them.
leave: all or nothing
i’m a big believer in good over perfect, progress over perfection. will there be a day when i want to do a whole30 perfectly? sure, maybe. but today, i want to use the framework to just improve, even if 1%, everyday. i also want to start creating even better options for my family, so if i’m eating even better than i already am (i eat pretty healthy, generally speaking), they will benefit. i’ll think twice, but i still might (will) have a blizzard here and there.
leave: being THAT girl at restaurants
i’ll get dressing on the side, sometimes, but i’m probably not going to be that person with primal kitchen in my purse. the entire assortment in my pantry and fridge? yes. but i don’t like being that person at restaurants. that being said, i’m happy to modify my order to a certain extent. i just don’t plan on micromanaging the cooks as to what oil my grilled [not breaded!] chicken is going to be cooked with.
leave: no creating compliant foods + smoothies
still gonna have my #fab4smoothie, guys. i know the protein powders i use have some sweeteners in them, so i’m going to keep using them. the sweeteners in my smoothies are natural, and limit blood sugar spikes, which is really what i’m going for. i’m also not against banana nice cream, grain-free muffins, and paleo pancakes. girl’s gotta live! (and feed her two year old)
there you have it! that’s my framework for cleaning up what i’m eating for the month of september. i’m sure some of you are wondering why i don’t do a ‘program’ (i know i’ve been approached by a number of people about things like beachbody) and while i think it’s great if it works for others, i just don’t need something like that to help me make a change right now. i find joy in being curious about health and in doing so, like finding what works for me. the good news is, more than halfway in, i am definitely feeling the effects of taking the crud out of my diet (and feel it when i indulge and add it back in!). i’m working through my recap and will have the full month in review come early october. until then, happy #softwhole30-ing!
thanks for reading!