I did a thing.
For the month of August I joined ranks, giving into the pressure of what it seems like every blogger and Instagrammer these days is challenging themselves with; I did Whole30. Well, to be honest, I did Whole30-ish. (Yeah, I cheated a bit.)
Maybe you're not familiar with it? Whole30 is a 30 day reset, where you eliminate certain food groups from your diet that could be having a negative impact on your body. Things like dairy, added sugar, grains, alcohol, legumes, MSG, etc. At the end of the 30 days, you slowly reintroduce them to your diet to see how you react to them. It's a fascinating approach to educating yourself about what you are eating and why.
This isn't a weight loss program, however a lot a people do happen to lose weight doing it. That wasn't my goal at all. I forgot to weigh myself, so I have no idea if those numbers fluctuated. I did it mostly for the discipline of it, and to prove to myself I could.
The first three days I thought it was a piece of cake. I ate lots of veggies, fruits, and protein, and didn't even miss heavy cream in my daily coffee. But by day four it was no longer a piece of cake; and I desperately wanted a piece of cake. I managed to stay strong for an entire eight days, before I cheated and went out for tacos with my sister-in-law.
I won't tell you how many times I ate off plan. I can't say I noticed huge changes in the overall way I felt. That could perhaps be because this way of eating isn't drastically different than how I usually eat, minus the dairy and peanut butter and chocolate I enjoy consuming. Or perhaps I didn't feel drastically different because I cheated a few times too many. Who knows? I did feel good though -- which typically I do -- and by not eating carbs from grains or any dairy, my stomach was flatter than ever.
By the last week I was done. Done. Done. Done. I cheated again, and drank cream in my coffee and had a bit of peanut butter with a banana. It couldn't be that bad, could it? It could. My skin, which had started to look clear and feel smooth for the first time since having Brooklyn, broke out in a rash. Little whiteheads began popping up around my chin, and I knew. Dairy. Dairy was the culprit.
So this week, though no longer doing Whole30, I am going mostly dairy free. And it seems to be helping my skin.
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Along with the discipline of Whole30, I was hoping to also be disciplined in blogging weekly in the month of August. That happened exactly one time. Sometimes I wonder what happened to the Sarah I use to be, the only who followed through with her goals?
Oh wait. I know. She's now a wife and mom. She's got a new set of priorities, and not meeting every goal on time is okay. (Preaching to myself, but maybe you needed to hear that too.)
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Also in the month of August:
I read five books. Two novels -- Her Mother's Hope and Her Daughter's Dream, both by Francine Rivers. Skin Cleanse, the simple, all-natural program for clear, calm, happy skin, by Adina Grigore. I heard a lot of good about this book, and when I checked it out on Amazon the reviews were amazing. I've been implementing what I've learned, and that, along with eliminating dairy, I hope will clear my skin once and for all. The Gracelaced book. If you follow me on Instagram you already know how much I truly love this book. It's a beautiful devotional, that points to Christ in each and every page. And finally, {Why} Motherhood Matters. I am still working my way through this one, but it is so, so good! And I had the privilege of going to the book launch party and meeting the author, which makes it even more inspiring to me.
By now you are thinking that if I had time to read five books, I most certainly had time to blog more. I can't blame that on my husband or kids taking all my free time. I'm beginning to think that too.
I spent a lot of time with my sister-in-law, Lyd, who was living in the area for the summer. We thrifted and ate tacos and drank coffee like it was our job.
The kids and I met my sister in Williamsport, PA, for a picnic lunch along the river. It's been almost a year since she got married and moved away. I don't know why its taken us this long to meet half way. We had a lovely afternoon, and already I am looking forward to doing it again.
We went to the cabin with my husbands extended family. I married into such a fun crew of people. This weekend is a highlight in our summer every year.
I discovered two new podcasts to listen to while mowing yard: Dear Daughters + JourneyWomen.
I mastered headstands and pull ups. These both have been goals of mine for a long, long time.
Met my handsome little nephew, Cai. He's the son of my brother, Bryan, and his lovely wife, Amy, and the first child to be born to one of my siblings!
And I didn't blog.
I know September will be even fuller than August. I'll be back to chat in October, if not before...
Have a lovely day!