This is part two of my January Whole30 journal! If you missed part one, you can read it here! In part one, I chronicle my first 15 days on the Whole30. In part two, I write about my last 15 days. I'm still using Melissa Hartwig's newest book Whole30 Day by Day to journal throughout my 8th round of Whole30.

Day 16 - Tuesday, January 16th

No, no, no. I woke up feeling yuck. Seriously cough, a lot of hacking, just no. I'm hoping this doesn't linger around and that Whole30 will help this!

Back to school and back to normal life routine today. Didn't get the best sleep last night (less than 5 hours, not cool.) But got up did my yoga practice, consumed copious amounts of coffee and taught my students all about Martin Luther King Jr. and the reasons why we celebrate his life and achievements but also taught them about how we have to keep fighting for justice and equality. 

After eating my breakfast of pre-made Sausage Frittata, my stomach hurt all day and I felt super gassy. We had leftover No Crumb's Left Heroine Chicken for dinner (SO STINKING GOOD) and I climbed into bed pretty early. 

Whole30 real talk: My emotions were pretty out of whack today. I felt sad, mad, annoyed, etc. and had to let that shit go at the end of the day. I swear, changing up the food you're eating has an effect on your entire body! Watching what this round of Whole30 is doing to me emotionally and mentally is rocking my world. 

Day 17 - Wednesday, January 17th 

Slept pretty horribly last night. Usually on Tuesday nights, I crash. But my mind was racing last night and I just couldn't fall asleep. I decided to listen to my body and skip my morning yoga practice, giving myself an extra 30 minutes to sleep this morning. Woke up feeling extra sick, cough has definitely worsened and I'm thankful for bone broth that I made from the leftover bones of the Heroine Chicken. I need more sleep. 

Despite feeling sick and having really low energy, I'm still really digging this round of Whole30. I'm feeling in control, having zero cravings, feeding myself with food that loves me back and taking care of myself in a new way. 

Day 18 - Thursday, January 18th 

Went to bed early last night, fell asleep pretty quickly, and slept very well! I woke up this morning feeling refreshed and better! I'm definitely still coughing but I don't feel as run down. It's amazing what sleep does for your body! I also find it interesting that Melissa Hartwig's Whole30 Day by Day Day 18 entry is all about sleep! Way to anticipate that Melissa!

I HAD MY FIRST FOOD DREAM LAST NIGHT! In my dream I ate an entire pack of Nestle's uncooked chocolate chip cookie dough. In my dream I instantly felt so upset with myself because I knew I had broken my Whole30 and that I would have to start all over, the last 17 days were all for nothing! But then I woke up and was SO RELIEVED to know that it was all just a dream!

Whole30 real talk: I should really be making a big deal about my not having any cravings, like whatsoever. This is a huge deal for me. I'm not craving and obsessing over food like I usually do. While eating a meal, I'm usually already thinking about what to eat for my next meal. I just love food, okay? But I realize that that is definitely an unhealthy obsession, at least for me. It's nice to not have that feeling. 

Tonight I'm climbing into bed early, putting my phone down, dimming the lights and hopefully falling asleep easily.

Day 19 - Friday, January 19th 

Woke up feeling pretty good! Got a good amount of sleep last night and I'm feeling a lot better. I had an okay amount of energy today too.

Whole30 real talk: I AM STRUGGLING. This round of Whole30 (I've done 8 rounds in the past) is whooping my tail, emotionally and mentally! Today I've just been "down" all day. I'm back to feeling bloated and puffy, my face is breaking out, I still have a lingering cough and I'm just feeling BLAH. Where is the Tiger Blood I was feeling a week ago? I'm wondering why my body is taking so long to adjust to this Whole30 round? Moving on to Day 20! 

Day 20 - Saturday, January 20th 

WOKE UP FEELING SO MUCH BETTER. Got over 9 hours of damn good sleep last night. It's amazing what sleep will do. Cough is still going strong but I'm no longer feeling sluggish, down, or blah. I'm energized and I'm excited because I'm attending the one year anniversary of the Women's March rally in Charleston, South Carolina today! I'm stoked to be around like-minded people to celebrate the work we've done and to discuss what's to come. 

There were food trucks and other vendors there but  I was super prepared. I brought some hard-boiled eggs, Chomp's Meat Sticks, and some water. I wasn't tempted to eat anything the whole time I was there and I snacked on my Chomp's and didn't feel restricted at all. 

Whole30 real talk: I've done Whole30's before so I know how to be prepared in situations where compliant foods aren't available and when there's temptation around every corner. It's nice to have these skills under my belt.

Day 21 - Sunday, January 21st 

Got another 9 hours of sleep last night and it was GLORIOUS! I woke up feeling lean, no puffiness, no bloating, and just overall great! 

I introverted so hard today and did pretty much nothing from 9 AM to 3 PM except read. After a full day yesterday, my body was screaming for some quiet alone time so that's exactly what I did and man did it feel good. 

I made delicious taco bowls for dinner tonight with homemade guacamole! There were delicious. I also prepped for the week ahead: made cashew milk, ghee, made my lunches, made a breakfast frittata, made Michael's lunches, set out my clothing for the week, cleaned up. These are all things I do every Sunday to make my week the most successful it can be, on and off the Whole30!

Day 22 - Monday, January 22nd

Woke up early today to get my yoga practice in. After taking time to sleep in last week, it felt great to get up early. While I only got about 5 hours of sleep, my energy was pretty consistent throughout the day. We celebrated naming our Teacher of the Year at work today and I didn't even blink an eye when I passed up cake! It's nice to feel in control of my food again. I'm feeling happier, healthier, more alive! Today was a great Whole30 day!

I also made an AHHHMAZING Chicken, Broccoli Cashew Alfredo over spaghetti squash. It was absolutely divine. 

Day 23 - Tuesday, January 23rd

In today's Whole30 Day by Day, Melissa Hartwig wrote:

"The best thing you could do for your body composition long-term is stay connected to the idea that you are a healthy person, living a healthy lifestyle surrounding yourself with people, places, things, and experiences to support that."

This positive, growth mind-set is exactly what I'm gleaning from this round of Whole30!

I had a hard time falling asleep last night. This is a something I am not used to with my previous rounds of Whole30! I usually fall asleep easily, sleep deeply, wake feeling rested. For some reason, this round of Whole30 is very different and my sleep seems to be all over the place!

I only ate three hardboiled eggs and carrots for lunch today. I was so hungry before dinner! This is definitely not going to work for a lunch for me.

ALSO, it was 75 degrees and sunny out today. You better believe I threw on a tank top and sandals and took the dog out for a nice, long walk. 

Day 24 - Wednesday, January 24th 

Today was THE most important day for me, thus far. And today's entry will be longer.

As I've said before, this is my 8th round of Whole30 and in this round, I'm looking for something different than my previous rounds. In my previous rounds, I was looking for weight loss. Sure, being in control of my food and not feeling like a slave was a fantastic benefit. Feeling free of counting calories was also a huge plus. But I was still using Whole30 to lose weight, and there is nothing wrong with that! But in this round, I'm looking for more. I'm looking for mental and emotional shifts. In today's journal entry Melissa Hartwig writes:

"Remember, this isn't a diet--which means that even though there is a Day 31, there is no "end," where you're unceremoniously dumped right back into your old habits, lethargy, cravings, and waistline. The Whole30 is the first step on the lifelong path of discovering food freedom." 

This Whole30 journey has had me struggling with the idea of restriction. As I've blogged about it in my previous Whole30 Journal: Part One, after trying on a dress that used to be large and then fit a bit snug, my brain immediately went into "restrict/diet/eat less/workout more" mode. Which is a place I lived in for so long. And while this place brought me great results (losing 100 pounds) it is NOT where I want to be now, or ever again for that matter. Later in today's journal entry, Melissa writes:

"But if you really want a healthy, sustainable, rewarding diet that will bring you a lifetime of benefits, you will have to continue practicing mindfulness, awareness, and conscientiousness around food for the rest of your life."

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED TO HEAR. Restriction/Dieting does not equal Mindfulness/Awareness. This is what I am gleaning. 

I am slowly, but surely shifting my thinking from restriction to mindfulness. 

Day 25 - Thursday, January 25th 

I finally fell asleep so easily last night and slept for almost 8 hours but I felt so sleepy around 10 this morning. What is this energy slump? I went to the doctor yesterday for an annual exam and found that I was in Ketosis. After talking with my amazing friend Kirsty, who has experience with Keto (check out the guest post she wrote for the blog here!) we decided that I might not be eating enough fat! My mornings are filled with healthy fats (coconut oil and cashew milk in my coffee, sausage frittata) but my lunches and dinners are relatively lower in healthy fats. I will be adding more fats to my lunches and dinners!

Day 26 - Friday, January 26th

I slept for almost 8 hours again last night but again, felt so sleepy around 10 in the morning. NEED MORE FAT FOR FUEL. 

Michael and I went to Trader Joe's tonight to get some things. I picked up a lot of avocados, cashews, coffee (DUH), coconut oil, etc. He picked up 10 bottles of wine. #notwhole30 

I'm starting to think about reintroduction. I sketched a rough outline of my reintroduction plan recently. I'm loving the idea of practicing my Food Freedom but I'm also thinking of extending my Whole30 to maybe a Whole40 or Whole45. My body is still figuring some things out and I want to give it the time it needs.

Day 27 - Saturday, January 27th

Slept for almost 10 hours yesterday, what the what?! I fell asleep so easily (in front of the TV) and then slept pretty soundly. We had a pretty chill day today, just laying around but HOLY SNACKS. for the first time since Day 9, I craved snacks! Nothing in particular, just the art of snacking. I drank water and had some sunflower seeds, but other than that, I worked through those cravings!

Day 28 - Sunday, January 28th 

WE ARE ALMOST THERE PEOPLE! It is Day 28 and most of us already have a plan on how we are going to reintroduce! I'm so pleased with the progress I've made in this round of Whole30, mentally and emotionally. I'm still working the program and I'm most likely going to extend, but I am just so damn proud of the love I've been giving myself everyday. There is nothing like showing yourself love through taking care of your body.

I got a ton of sleep last night (almost 9 hours) and I unplugged from social media today (for the most part) and just took a relaxing Sunday to read. My cravings were gone again today, thank goodness!

I meal prepped like a boss today making my lunches (taco bowls with a whole avocado), Michael's lunches (turkey meatballs and brown rice), breakfast (prosciutto egg cups), ghee, and a big batch of my delicious Chicken Broccoli Alfredo with a Cashew Alfredo Sauce!

Day 29 - Monday, January 29th 

DAY 29, DAY 29, DAY 29!! YAS. 

I only got about 6 hours of sleep last night but I fell asleep easily and slept soundly, which is unusual for a Sunday. I had no energy dips today and my energy was pretty steady! We had leftover Alfredo and it legit gives me life. It is so dang good!

I'm feeling less bloated today and all around clear headed. TOMORROW IS THE DAY PEOPLE.

Day 30 - Tuesday, January 30th 

I DID IT! IT'S HERE! DAY 30!

I've done 7 rounds of Whole30 before but no round was more transformative than this one. I have accomplished so many things in this round, mostly mentally and emotionally. Here's a list of some of the NSV's (Non-Scale Victories) I experienced in my 8th round of Whole30:

• Loving my self - I'm working towards actively loving myself in every way and at every stage/shape. This round of Whole30 has helped me begin to work through this. 
• I'm in control of my health again. Over the holidays, I tend to lose control and eat all da things. This round of Whole30 (and every round) has helped me regain control. 
• I began the process of mentally shifting from restriction and dieting to mindful awareness around food. 
• My self-confidence has improved.
• I'm more in sync with my body and I'm listening to what it's saying. 
• I feel lighter.
• I'm less bloated.
• I'm less gassy (Michael is pretty happy about this one.) 
• My stomach is flatter/leaner.
• I tried new recipes and found ones that I love!
• I shared my entire journey with you guys and on my Instagram Stories.
• I tamed my Sugar Dragon! I'm no longer a slave to sugar.
• I've eliminated cravings.
• My skin is clearer. 
• I honored the commitment I made to myself and stuck with it. 

Just to name a few. 

As I've said before, this round of Whole30 has been much more transformative than those I've had in the past. It's shaped me in new ways and I'm so pleased. I'm taking the Slow Roll Reintroduction path and I'm just going to go with the flow. I will be reintroducing foods when I see fit but eating Whole30 in between. The third part to this Emily's Whole30 Journal series will be my reintroduction journal. It will be coming out sometime in the near future. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy my Whole30 life and continue to transform my mind, body, and spirit.

Thank you for reading. With so much love and gratitude,

Emily