The Whole 30 for the New Year!

I don't know about you, but in the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas I have been drowning myself in sweet tea, chocolate, cornbread and french fries (just being honest here folks).  I keep justifying my many and various indulgences by saying "I'm breastfeeding."Well, my baby does not need all the extra calories and neither do my thighs. I came back from our Christmas trip on Sunday feeling seriously sluggish, bulky, and bloated. My body is screaming for change, and as a result I've decided to start 2014 off by doing The Whole 30.

What's The Whole 30? It's a 30 day healthy eating challenge that will reset your body, lean you out, and help give you a taste for the foods you ought to be eating. During the challenge I will be eating vegetables, fruit, meat, seafood, nuts, oils, seeds, and eggs.  I will be avoiding sugar, grains, legumes, alcohol and dairy. You can check out the whole list of foods on their website. This challenge basically eliminates anything that may be aggravating a food allergy, your hormone levels, or your blood sugar. Think of it as giving your body a nice long 30 day rest.

A change like this is a bit intimidating and scary, but totally doable, when armed with the right resources. I have no illusions. I know that I'll start the challenge all gung-ho, but by the end of the first week be literally dying for some of my beloved sugar. That's part of the reason I'm blogging about it (to keep myself motivated).

Is the whole family participating? Nope! It's just me, but they will eat what I eat for dinner. Depending on the meal I may add brown rice or something extra for my hubbs and the boys. I'd love for you to join me! Need a reason? I'll give you 30!  All it takes is some creative meal planning and an iron will.  Plan out breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a week and get to shopping. Google, or look up Whole 30 on Pinterest, and you'll find tons of recipes and tips. My favorite read thus far can be found over at  Today's Letters.

Monday afternoon I loaded up my babies and headed out to Costco. I stocked up on essentials so I would never have the excuse of not having anything to eat. I didn't have as much time as I would have if I'd been alone but I was pleased with the results.

My Whole 30 essentials:

1. Cashews
2. Avocados (I forgot to get these but I'll pick some up soon)
3. Larabars
4. Bacon
5. Coconut Oil
6. Meat
7. Sweet potatoes 
8. La Croix- Its flavored fizzy water and I love it!

I'll hit up my local grocer for most of my fruit and veggies. I'll be updating every 5 days or so. Keep your eyes peeled for updates! Let me know if you're going to join in! The fun starts tomorrow morning...