Sometimes I think we all need a little reminder of what can happen once we step outside our comfort zone. We each have so much strength and experience that is available to us, but often it will only appear when we are stretching ourselves beyond what we think we want to do. That was the point of 45 days for me – to see what would happen if I followed a Whole30 format beyond what is typical. I’m pretty confident that I needed the stretch because thirty just felt easy. That’s a part of it too, though. We don’t know until we try and most of the time, our courage, knowledge, expertise, gumption, and skills will show up at the time when we need them, reminding us perhaps that we could have stretched and excelled even earlier, that we have what we need inside of us already. And maybe that will remind us, too, that it’s when we push beyond that we truly learn about ourselves and about what is possible. So go for it!

Day 31 has been a good day. I’ve not been very hungry at all today, which is a little strange but I’ve also been busy. That definitely helps. It’s my longest and busiest day of work so it’s a little easier to get distracted.

In case you are wondering what the physical changes were following thirty days of clean eating without dairy, legumes, sugar, or alcohol, here’s what it looked like for me:

Weight loss: 8 1/2 lbs.

Inches lost: chest – 1″, waist – 1 1/2″, abs – 2 3/4″, hips – 1 1/2″, thigh – 1″

Definition: I’m starting to see some muscle definition come back out, which I really like. Things had gone a bit into hiding. 🙂

Energy: Definitely more steady. I was tired nearly every afternoon before and struggling to stay awake, even when it wasn’t late at night. Now I’m up early, full of a calm energy all day, and capable of staying up later but shutting off the light because I need my sleep!

Sleep: I’ve always been a good sleeper, but I notice that it’s easier than ever to get up at 4am. I sleep about 6 1/2 to 7 hours each night. I’d definitely like to add an hour, but that isn’t possible right now. I usually get that extra 30-60 minutes on the weekend though.

Workouts: Especially compared to how I was feeling at the very beginning of this challenge, my workouts are considerably better. I feel strong and capable, ready to tackle whatever workout I do. I also have this sense that I could really keep going or do any additional physical work that gets set before me.

Skin: I feel like my skin is more luminous. I don’t know how to gauge this except that I find myself leaving the house more frequently without any make-up on at all and appreciating the quality of my skin. I’m sure it has a whole lot to do with drinking tons of water, eating loads of veggies and good fats, and not drinking alcohol.

Body confidence: Perhaps the greatest gift that these past 30 days have given me is the shift in body confidence. Whether it’s the food I’ve been eating or simply the act of committing to my health and well-being, I don’t know. In any case, I’m happy for it because I much prefer acting from a place of self-confidence than shame or guilt or embarrassment.

So there you go. The first thirty days in a nutshell. I don’t know that anything earth-shattering will happen in the next fifteen days, but that’s okay. I’m pretty happy with how much better I feel right now compared to a month ago and I have a feeling it will only get better from here.

What did I eat today?

Breakfast – 2 eggs, zucchini, 1/4 avocado, sauerkraut, 1/2 a plum

Lunch – Zoodles, 1/2 a pork chop, spicy Thai sesame sauce, mango

Dinner – Salmon salad with arugula, spinach, and fresh figs

Post-workout snack: HB egg / chunk of sweet potato / Sriracha sauce / carrots

How did I move today?

Yoga. Then tonight I had the chance to do a full body strength workout. When I got home, it was so beautiful out that I just had to take the dog out for a run so we got in a couple miles. I still wasn’t hungry, but I decided that since my Wednesday dinner is at 4pm and then I worked out, which I don’t always do at night, I should have something to eat. Quick little balanced snack to help everything recover and be ready for another day!