My Whole30 Comes To An End

It's been a busy few weeks. Right smack in the middle of my Whole30, I went to Las Vegas for a class--12-14 hours a day of classes for 4 days. I used to love Vegas, and you just can't beat the food there. I won't lie, I was bummed not to be able to take advantage of the culinary delights in Sin City, but I was determined to stick to the plan, and I did. As a matter of fact, I still had the best meal I've had in years at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant while I was there. It was absolutely perfect. The class was exhausting but productive, I didn't overindulge, and I even got in a couple of workouts. Despite being painfully homesick, not a bad trip overall.

I continued the Whole30 after I got back, and ultimately enjoyed the overall experience quite a bit. Breaking it down to the basic numbers, over the 30 days, I lost 7.5 pounds and 8.25 total inches. For those of you who have been following me over the years, you will know this is nothing short of monumental for me. I also noticed that my mood was, indeed, improved. Mind you, I didn't experience the paleo giddiness that some folks report, but I have noticed that my mood is better. My skin is clearer. I didn't have the breakouts and blemishes during this cycle that I typically do.  And (this might be TMI, but I think it's significant so I'm going to share it) I also noticed that the "fuzzies"...you ladies who have them will know of what I speak... are markedly better. There is no doubt that my hormones are in better balance than they were before the Whole30. One of my goals with the Whole30, though, was decreasing the number and severity of headaches that I'm having, and I didn't see much improvement. I did see some, just not enough, so I've decided it's time to check in with a neurologist and make sure nothing hinky is going on.

The restrictions of the Whole30 were over just in time for our friends' Clint and Caitlin's wedding this weekend. We headed down to Anna Maria Island Thursday after I got off of work and joined them for the rehearsal dinner.  After not sleeping for thirty hours, I collapsed into bed and finally slept well for the first time in two weeks--even woke up energized enough for a great beach workout before the wedding festivities. Luna naturally joined me for the beach fun but she wasn't so sure about those waves we were trotting along next to, lol. Regardless, she got some playtime outside before having to chill by herself while Marc and I enjoyed ourselves at the wedding.

Tomorrow I start phase 9 of my workouts from Jennifer Cooper, so today I decided to just spend some time playing. Here's the evidence (note playing with my one rep max deadlift was part of the play. Turns out it's 170#, about 110% of body weight):

Focus

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Despite the counters full of disarray, the floors that need vacuuming, and work that needs doing, I am slowly beginning to get the feeling that I am digging out from under. I suspect it's just a feeling, but that has to count for something.

My mind is beginning to come into focus, and with each day that passes I find it wandering less and less. I dreamed about Daddy last Sunday. We were riding through the fields at the farm in his green '78 Ford truck. He was driving. I was riding--the way we spent hour upon hour in that truck. Occasionally I can control myself in my dreams, and I found myself able to in this one. I reached for his hand and looked at him and said, "Daddy, I sure do miss you." He smiled at me and said,"Baby, don't do that." Some cultures believe that when you can control what you say in your dreams to a loved one who has passed on, they are visiting you in your dreams. He and I talked about that many times before he died. It's a little hoakie, but I like to think maybe, just maybe, it might be so. I have thought a lot about that dream, and the many times he and I spoke of the natural order of life. He counseled me on how to deal with his loss long before it ever came about, and those conversations replay in my mind frequently now. With them, the focus improves.

Part of my ritual of focus is to make order in my surroundings. I'm on a stretch of working 13 out of 17 days at work which means the majority of waking time at home is spent in the workout space which I have affectionately dubbed Gym Jen as inspired my Gym Jones and their philosophies. Thus, I have put the majority of my extra energies into straightening it (the DH has a way of piling crap around its edges). Having it straight helps me focus better. I can do a split squat actually thinking of the split squat instead of how much I wish all the crap were put away, LOL. I thought I'd share the fruits of my labor. There are some old shots in here, too, in case you were feeling a little deja vu.
Note one of my favorite new additions is the fan.

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