Today is day four and I am squarely in Kill All The Things (KATT). I am cranky, feel like I have the flu, and want to eat everything in site. Melissa said it would be like this and boy she was right. I broke into tears during Kal’s evening walk because I was walking him and not Scout (like it’s his fault), and I pulled him away from a dog he wanted to play with just because. Ugly…really ugly. He forgave me once we got home as I treated him to a 15 minute session of “fetch the shark”, he lives for “fetch the shark”.

I ask myself every 5 minutes why am I doing this. I know why, I just have to keep asking. The upside is I am more productive. The house is tidy, my to do list is almost complete, and I have a great sense of pride that I made a commitment and I am sticking to it. Tomorrow will be better…or will it? I think it will…I know it will. I will make it so.

Friday night is my time to plan for the upcoming week. I pull out all my Whole30 compliant cookbooks and think about what I should cook for the week. I always make lunches for BF, so I have to cook a bunch of food over the weekend to get him through. And now there are two of us doing the Whole30, so I make extra so we don’t fight over the leftovers. Once I decide what to cook, I make a grocery list and take Whole Foods at dawn on Saturday morning. I live in LoDo Denver and if you hit the Union Station store after 8:30 AM the place is a zoo. It’s a tourist destination… lots of people with suitcases who just got off the train from the airport.

After the groceries are put away, I get on with the things important to me – like working out or hiking. After the “me” time, I carve out some time to chop, prep, and cook. I make sauces that are used in some of the recipes, like Walnut Basil Pesto (Pesto actually doesn’t need Parm to taste “eat it with a spoon” amazing), Olive Oil Mayo and Sunshine Sauce (a faux peanut sauce made with Coconut Aminos – YUMM!!!). All of these recipes are in the Well Fed series by Melissa Joulwan.

Kal and I are at peace with each other. He is sitting by my feet as I finish this post. I wish I could be more like him. A simple guy who never holds a grudge, loves to play, and doesn’t have an ounce of food drive. He loves everyone, but he does have his favorites. He wags his tail so hard he broke the skin on the tip (Happy Tail Syndrome). I love the Little Man and will make sure he gets to play with his pals tomorrow.

I woke up yesterday confused about why I am doing the #JanuaryWhole30. All I wanted to do was stuff my face with more cookies and count down until it was late enough in the day to start drinking wine. Then it hit me. THAT IS EXACTLY WHY I AM DOING THIS. After over 6 months of discipline and self control, I had slipped back in to the abyss of using food and wine as comfort. I miss Scout so very much and these things seem to help ease the pain. But this needs to stop and the Whole30 protocol provides the guard rails to put me back on track.

Day 1 was difficult. I had cravings. I was in the habit of reaching for something quick to eat – packaged foods or cookies from the holidays. I had done all my pre-tasks like roasting spaghetti squash, making compliant sauces, but BF was controlling the day, and I was frustrated I couldn’t do things on my agenda. Somehow I stayed the course and when I got the 8:00 PM text from Melissa Hartwick asking if I was 100% compliant on day 1 I proudly texted back Yes.

The food for day 1 went like this: Sausage, Mushroom and Spinach Frittata from the Whole 30 cookbook, simple chicken soup from homemade stock with poached chicken breast and veggies, and Sheppard’s Pie (OMG Cauliflower Mash – YUMMM) from Melissa Joulwan’s amazing cookbook series Well Fed. The frittata is awesome as it made enough for two breakfasts for two people, and the Sheppard’s Pie made enough for several meals so BF has lunches for the rest of the week. More on meal prep tomorrow.

Regarding exercise…which is as important in this journey as the food, I did my 30 minute AM Yoga and then took Kal for an hour long walk in what could be described as Arctic weather. Yes the temp in Denver was 9 degrees when we left the house. But the sun was out and that makes it feel warmer.

I made it though day 1. I feel good…I feel proud…but it’s only 1 day. Having the text messages helps and knowing that I need to write here everyday REALLY helps. Here’s to shinny hair, bright eyes, and slaying that evil sugar dragon.

To our good health!

Let’s just get the nasty out of the way first. I am 60. I don’t feel 60. I don’t look 60. But that’s because I work at it. As I embark on another New Years Eve, I am filled with apprehension for what is ahead. I want to be even younger next year. I want to be fitter than I ever have. But mostly I want to be healthy. I have learned that without your health you have NOTHING. Think Steve Jobs. Think Paul Allen. Your health is everything. This heath journey thing is different for everyone. I feel better when I shun certain foods. How did I find this out? By doing a Whole 30. Dairy is out for me. So is gluten. And guess what friends. I am OK with this. I would rather feel good, perform well, look good and think clearly than eat cookies and pizza. So on January 1, 2019 I do another Whole 30 #januarywhole30. Join me if you wish. I will post notes and thoughts here for the next 30 days.

I have cleaned out the pantry. I have gone shopping for healthy foods. I started my Bullet Journal entries. I am ready. Now all I have to do is follow the rules and breath deeply. Yoga everyday will help. My Whole 30 will be a bit different from Boyfriend’s (my husband’s nickname). I will add a Vespa/OFM twist. I plan to keep it low carb/high fat. Whole 30 allows potatoes – I will shun them in the name of fat optimization.

I warn my friends and family ahead of time. I will be CRANKY for the first week. I will nap. I will yell. I will pout. But by day 7 I will be a clear thinking happy girl.

So join me, follow me, check in and see how it’s going. Let’s encourage each other. Let’s help each other. Let’s all be younger next year.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton