Whole30: Day 31.

Guess what!  I made it through 30 days (and counting) of the Whole30 Program!

What is the Whole30?  

It's a nutritional eating program that helps you get rid of unhealthy eating habits and cravings, and helps you focus on making good food and nutrition choices.  You eat following the program rules for 30 days, and then you reintroduce foods carefully, while paying attention to what affect they have on your body. (Trust me...they do a much better job of explaining on their website.)

In a nutshell, on the Whole30 (very similar to Paleo) eat a lot of protein & veggies, and some fruit.  No alcohol, no dairy, no grains or legumes, no sugar (other than fruit). 

I chose to go through the Whole30 because I wanted to do just what the program promised- I wanted to focus on better eating habits, kick some cravings, and- most importantly- see if any of the foods that I was eating had an effect on my rosacea.

What did I learn?

I learned quite a bit, actually.  I learned that I wasn't getting a lot of protein in my diet at all.  I really don't mind having salad without dressing, as long as there's fruit to go on top.   I love black coffee.  I love zucchini noodles.  I actually don't hate sweet potatoes and raw tomatoes.  Eating more protein and a little fat makes me not hungry between meals.  I love curry made with coconut milk.  I didn't die from not eating cheese or bread. (I had thought I might.)  And?  Eating this way makes me feel really good.

Did I lose weight?

Yup.  It wasn't necessarily my goal, but I'm not sad about the fact that I lost 10 pounds. ;) 

Did my rosacea go away?  

Not yet.  It's definitely lighter than it was, but it hasn't gone away completely.  This is part of the reason that I'm sticking pretty closely to this diet yet.  I have lost track of the number of people that have told me that it takes much longer than 30 days for skin issues to resolve.

So...now what?

I'm going to continue like this for a while longer.  How long?  I'm not sure, but I'm definitely not going to stop making these good choices for me and for our entire family.  What that looks like, I'm not sure yet.  One day at a time.