After recovering from my lousy run, and taking a nice nap, and eating an early dinner from Chipotle (Salad, carnitas, guacamole, pico de gallo); my family had the opportunity to attend a Timberwolves game with a lot of the kids and some of the parents from Jerod's recently retired basketball team. In a suite. With free beer. OY!
This was one of those situations that's hard simply because of old (bad) habits. I'm pretty sure I haven't been to a sporting event without having a beer since I turned 21. This is one portion of the plan I hope to maintain when my 30 days are up. Not only will I be healthier, but my bank account will be healthier too. $7+ dollar beers will hopefully henceforth be the exception, and not the rule.
This morning I woke up famished (not unusual for me). I enjoyed my egg/spinach scramble along with a side of sweet potatoes that I simply grated up and sautéed in a little coconut oil. It was not my favorite form of sweet potato, but prep was quick. A good thing considering my hunger level.
Today will consist of some challenges. The treat table at church, I don't have a definite plan for lunch (I guess I best be getting on that), and we are scheduled to celebrate my dad's birthday at Crackerbarrel. There are plenty of comments I could make, but I'll just say I plan to eat something before and have a salad.
I'll close with some interesting notes from the Whole30 timeline.
Days 2-3: The Hangover.
The alarm rings on day 2 and you pop out of bed expecting the same kind of Charlie Sheen winning feeling you had yesterday. Instead, you get the other side of Charlie…you know – the pounding-head-cross-eyed-can’t-see-straight side. You
know you didn’t down a fifth of tequila in your sleep, so what the heck happened?!
Remember the pre Whole30 bender you went on? Pizza, cookies, Jim Beam, jelly beans (oh, the jelly beans)? Yeah. This is when it comes back to bite you in the butt. (And the head.)
And it is definitely true that the amount of suck you experience in this phase is directly proportional to the amount of crap you consumed before you began the program. Especially if you consumed it consistently. This phase is especially hard for the habitual Diet Coke (and Diet Dr. Pepper here in my part of the world) drinkers. You know who you are.
Many Whole30ers report headaches, fatigue, and general malaise during this part of the program.
This, my friends, is completely normal. Your body is working its way through a whole host of junk it stored from the foods (or food-like-products) you used to eat. This process lasts a day for some folks, but for others it can take a few days longer. Relax, drink a lot of water, and keep making good choices. And do your best to earn the sympathy and support from friends and family, because…
Days 4-5: Kill ALL the things!
Day 4 dawns and you tentatively step out of bed, expecting to feel like you took a strike from Thor’s hammer in the temple. Instead, your head is surprisingly clear. Your limbs all feel functional.
This could be a good day! You walk into the kitchen and as you’re greeted by the smiling face of your significant other you are suddenly overcome…with the desire to punch them in the face for smiling this early in the morning. Congratulations! You’ve made it to day 4.
Now, I have no clue why this phase happens, or why it happens here (and not on, say, day 14).* I just know that it happens. Often. Even experienced Whole30ers (myself included) go through this phase. Every nerve is lit, temperance is non-existent and the only solution to the problem seems to be to Kill All of the Things.
This phase, too, will pass. Beg your spouse, children, parents, co-workers, for patience and forgiveness – as nicely as you can (and no, “shut up and leave me alone!” does not count as nice). Take a deep breath and eat some sweet potatoes. I promise, you’ll feel better soon.
*It’s probably because your brain is never very happy when you tell it that it CAN’T have something, and take it out of it’s habitual and accustomed comfort zone. An unhappy brain is a stressed brain, an anxious brain, a fearful brain. No to mention your hormones are desperately trying to keep up with your new food choices, your gut is trying to heal, you’ve had a headache for the last three days, and you REALLY MISS YOUR DIET COKE. So yeah, maybe we do know why this is happening now…