Week One of our Whole30 is complete!
This time around, I’m focused on cutting out caffeine (even though Whole30 rules allow it), and getting more sleep. These two things go hand in hand, and I’m looking forward to seeing positive results as I get both under control. For an informative read/reasons to cut caffeine click here and here.
And, I don’t blame you if you think I’m absolutely crazy for doing this…if you’d have told me to cut caffeine a month ago, I would have thought you were crazy! It needed to happen, though. I’m not good at moderation! Just a little update today…
It was a not-so-fun week without caffeine…
But…I survived! Throughout the week I kept asking myself, “Whose idea was this, anyway!?” I felt bleary-eyed and tired. I didn’t felt like working out, but getting my blood pumping with exercise was the only thing that gave me some relief and helped me feel better. I had a dull headache that started last Sunday, and and did not taper off until Thursday. I felt like I was dragging, slowly moving through life! I finally started to feel an improvement on Friday. And, guess what? I’m already sleeping better! I’m falling asleep much faster. Morning wake up is still a struggle, but hopefully that will improve soon, too. I know I sound overly dramatic, but I’m being completely honest! To help deal with these symptoms, I’ve been going to bed earlier and drinking plenty of water. It kinda stinks to go out for coffee and order decaf, but I keep telling myself that I need this, and it will be worth it!
Food is just the beginning…
Taking a cue from the folks at Whole30, I’m seeing first-hand that this is true! I’m learning that it really, truly starts with food, but that’s not the end of the story. There are so many other factors that go into being “healthy” and “well!” You can have the perfect diet, but if you overtrain, have high stress levels, and don’t get enough sleep…well, you aren’t going to get the maximum benefit out of all your hard work. And you won’t be as healthy as you could be! The bad news is, it all catches up with you eventually. But, the good news is…there is something you can do about it! It doesn’t happen overnight, but if you make the commitment to yourself to shift your priorities a bit, you can do it. So, this is where I’m at…trying to counteract the effects of lack of sleep and over-caffeination!
Hopefully I did not bore you with all of that, but I wanted to explain what I am doing, and why. Now that I have emerged from my caffeine-free induced fog, I promise that my next Whole30 post(s) will be more fun, and will include fantastic recipes we are trying, a review of the new Whole30 book, and more!
Thanks for stopping by! If you are Whole30’ing this month too, comment below…
Yay for being through week 1! Today is Day 9 for me and I swear I almost knocked a lady down last weekend and stole the chocolate chip cookie right out of her hand. However, I’m starting to realize that my cravings are far more mental than I gave them credit for!
Hi Elise! The “sugar dragon” is the worst. During my first whole30, I actually had a dream I had eaten a red velvet sprinkles cupcake and had to start over, lol!! I woke up seriously thinking I had cheated, had to convince myself that it was a dream. We can get so tied into habits/cravings/rewards that it is hard to realize how much power we let them have over us…kind of why I like the strictness of the Whole30. The rules are laid out, and it’s kinda easier to just say no for the 30 days! Keep me posted, sounds like you are doing great!