Weekend Getaway

Tim and I have a Marriott Credit Card that gives us one free night a year. Typically we visit my sister in Canton and use the night then. Since we share a cabin with them, we have been meeting them there instead. Anyway the free room was going to expire so we decided to use it this weekend.

We made a day of it. We dropped Ralphie off at a boarding place and then headed over to the Cincinnati Premium Outlets.  We shopped around and then ate dinner and Dingle House. Both were very fun even though the outlets were a little crowded.

Dinner at Dingle house was pretty good. Although I did break my Whole30 again by accident. I got grilled Salmon, asparagus and sweet potato fries. Doesn't sound bad but the salmon had butter all over it, and the sweet potatoes were sprinkled with sugar. If that is not bad enough Tim talked me into getting a drink. Which I at least went with something that I thought was gluten free. So much for complete body healing.

I do have to admit that I think I bit off more than I can chew. I removed grains, legumes, dairy, sugar and white potatoes, and alcohol cold turkey. It has been really hard trying to keep myself from falling off the wagon. I must say this has made me aware of everything that I do eat that is not good for me. It forces me to pay attention to all of the places that extra sugars and grains can hide. I am still happy with my progress. My goal wasn't to lose weight but since implementing the new way of eating I have lost about 7 pounds. 

But I digress, we stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn in West Chester. We managed to get a suite, which was really nice. It had a kitchen and living area that was separate from the sleeping area. The bed was comfortable, and the shower was roomy. I would highly recommend staying at the Residence Inn, if you need a hotel in the area. I can't forget about the complimentary breakfast! Everything, was great and the staff were really friendly!

It was nice to "getaway" even if it was only one night....

Whole30 Update

I had been doing really well with the Whole30 until I ate gluten by accident. It didn't hurt me I didn't have any strange reactions to it but it did break my plan. 

We went out to dinner with some friends the other night at Smoq and I got the Buffaloaf. It's one of my favorites. I should have reconsidered my choice but I didn't think about until it was too late. Meatloaf is made with bread crumbs and bread crumbs contain gluten. How could I have been so stupid?

The whole purpose of my Whole30 is to allow my body to heal and I already screwed up. I guess I shouldn't be too hard on myself considering my past eating habits. I am 99% better than 14 days ago. I haven't had any slip ups with sugar or processed foods. I stick to drinking water which is easy.

All in all I am doing well. I feel better and I look better.

Time for a Change

I know I haven't posted for a while so here is what changed since then:

The deck we were building for my mom is finished! So glad to say that it passed inspection and is no longer our responsibility!

Tim and I adopted a dog (Ralphie). He is now 6 months old and losing his puppy hair! A happy addition to our family.

We had a successful Halloween Party as always. We dressed up as the Pink Nightmare and the Leg Lamp from "A Christmas Story".

I officially changed my diet. I have started the Whole30 program.

I have not had the courage or energy to begin such a journey until now. I realize that I need to change my habits in order to change my outcome. I have had some questions as to why I am doing this and its hard to explain in a few short sentences but I will give it a shot.

The majority of this post and following posts will be discussing my progress on the Whole30 program. As you may recall from previous posts I have PCOS which can increase the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and a host of many other diseases. PCOS symptoms can be eased or even eliminated by a change in diet. Basically I am doing this for better health and a better chance at getting pregnant. I am trying to change the things that I have control over: my diet, stress, sleep, exercise, even my attitude. All of these together can help me be the best possible version of myself.

In the month of November I am challenging myself to a complete 30 days of no alcohol, no sugar, no grains, no legumes, no processed foods, no dairy and no white potatoes. It will be difficult because I have cravings for many of the items that I have removed from my diet. I am hoping that the cravings will ease the farther I get into the program.

I started on November 1st so I am only 5 days into the program. I can't say I feel any different yet after all my body has many years of bad eating habits to break and lots of repairing to do. I try to keep my meals simple. A good portion of meat, lots of veggies, some good fat and the occasional piece of fruit. It hasn't been hard as much as a hassle especially with regards to eating out. We have to have much more fresh food in the house as well as a variety of meats so I don't get bored with the same meals.

In addition to the Whole30 program I am going to continue my exercise routine. I purchased Kettlebells for Busy Moms a few months ago and really enjoy the workouts. I know I am not a mom but Holly is a woman and she created these workouts for women! (The last time I checked I am a woman too. So these fit perfectly into my life.) I have been neglecting my workouts more and more so I am also going to set a goal for exercising 3 times per week in November using this kettlebell series as my base.

For now, I am excited to start this journey. I hope it takes me to my optimal health!