The End

Phew....almost to the end of this whole 30 and I can say I am sooooo looking forward to being done.  Strange at the end of my first whole 30 I felt amazing, way more energy, way less bloating, and I had gained weight (I was 102 pounds at the beginning of that first one!).  To say I felt great is an understatement.  So it came as a bit of a surprise that this time as we come to the end I can not say I am feeling amazing.  I feel pretty good.  I have energy, my workouts are better, and I am waking up earlier than normal with energy.  But I still have some weird lingering junk (bloating, joint pain, etc.).  Which leads me to the same conclusion I have always had: diet is super important, but exercise, sleep, and lower stress are also important and need to be addressed in order for our bodies to function at their optimal levels.
As for me: I am working out as many days as possible, and I am trying to increase my steps to 10,000 every day.  I am trying to get to bed on time and I am working with Faith to stay in her own bed so I can sleep all night without a 5 year old kicking me :)  Most of you know my stress levels are a bit more than normal so that is something I am working on but sometimes stress is just a part of our lives for a time so I know that some of this is just what it is.  However, I have been getting up and spending time reading my Bible and praying each day and that seems to really help get me ready to face my day (no matter what that day has in store for me).  Oh and spending time outside!  I crave outside but often find I stay in to do dishes, laundry, clean, etc.  It is essential for me to get outside every single day.  My favorite time is to sit outside and watch the sun go down, usually it is cooling down enough that I can sit out there and just enjoy watching the day come to an end (plus the cat really loves to hang out with me when I sit on the step).

So here are a few things I learned:

1. I need carbs at every meal (so for me that was potatoes and sweet potatoes).
2. I also need protein after workouts.
3. Sometimes I have to have a snack.
4. I need to drink way more water than normal.
5. I miss rice, corn tortilla chips, fresh corn on the cob, and cheese.  Oh and the ability to not study every label.  I still have to check for gluten and coconut but those are fairly easy to find on the labels.
6. Meal planning and prep is essential.
7. Groceries are expensive ;)
8. I enjoy lifting weights, but not walking.
9. I need to be outside more.
10.  I am a happier person when I work on my spiritual self.

So if you are considering doing a whole 30 I totally recommend it and stick with it even if you aren't seeing that amazing WOW that everyone talks about.  Even feeling a bit better is worth it.  Also don't be afraid to examine other areas of your life to see if you need more sleep, more water, less technology, more outside time, less stress....etc.  Food is huge but other things can contribute to making you more or less healthy!