Whole30 Happy

Greetings friends and fellow health food junkies! Happy 2015! 

I don’t know about all of you, but for me, 2014 flew by so quickly I could hardly stop to catch a quick glimpse of what was actually happening—and thus, so did my 2014 “resolutions.” I've never been a big fan of the term, but always felt obligated to create them for myself. The only problem is that I created so many (and some not even realistic or attainable) that I felt like I had failed myself, which really wasn't the case. I accomplished some pretty damn great things in 2014! I moved across country with my boyfriend to begin a new adventure working for Cabela’s and living in good ol’ Sidney, Nebraska. I got a job in my field. I joined a mentoring program where I mentor a 7^th grade girl at the school here in town on a weekly basis. I started to rebuild my relationship with faith and God. We became new puppy parents to an amazing little ball of energy, our seven month old black lap puppy, Stella. I rescued stray animals in the town whenever and wherever I got the chance (my heart is SO invested in rescue-not a better feeling in the world!). But as wonderful as all of these things are…I forgot to keep a promise to myself. I didn’t put the time and energy into taking good care of my health and my body and I paid the price. Multiple doctor’s visits and hefty doctor’s bills took up a lot of my time and my finances, when I should have been spending that time at the gym or preparing beautiful healthy meals in the kitchen. Constant sinus infections, injuries, illnesses—I just didn’t feel good and I know it’s because of my lack of exercise and eating whatever the hell I wanted. So… now here I am. Twenty pounds heavier than where I was when I wrote my last blog post in 2014 and I have decided that enough is a damn nuff.’ I am 25 years old and most days I feel like I’m going on 50. I need to get back down to a healthy weight and to feel better not just for myself, but for my family and for our future children. After reading Dallas and Melissa Hartwig’s “It Starts With Food,” my entire view of “dieting” changed dramatically and I realized everything I had been doing wrong in past numerous failed attempts to lose the weight. Viewing Katie Couric’s documentary “Fed Up” really clicked with me as well. Basically, to sum it up, PROCESSED FOODS ARE THE DEVIL. All of these “low-fat,” “low-carb” and “sugar-free” dieting products are a joke. Sure, for some people they may really work to help them lose the weight, but does that mean they are healthy on the inside or just thin on the outside? My bet is on "just thin on the outside" and there is a multitude of research and facts to back this up. For me, I have chosen to take on this journey so that I can be BOTH healthy and strong, to finally be at a healthy weight for my height and I know I can do it! Sure, grocery shopping and food preparation is a little more timely now, as reading labels to try to find foods free of bad ingredients and added sugar seems to be a nearly impossible task these days (THANKS BIG BUSINESS AND THANKS TO OUR GOVERNMENT- watch “Fed Up” on Netflix. Trust me, you won’t regret it), but it really is so incredibly worth it. I have an amazing partner on my side (my boyfriend Nick who deserves a “Best Boyfriend Award” for being so supportive and joining me on this adventure) and I know that together, we can get through this and accomplish great things. We read the Whole30 and we did the research and we strongly believe that it is the best plan for us. If you haven’t heard of the Whole30 craze…I highly recommend giving the book a read. It will change your life. It’s not a diet and THANK GOD because I HATE diets. It’s a healthy lifestyle—something that you maintain far past the 30 days free of dairy, gluten, processed foods, alcohol and sugar. Am I never going to eat a cheeseburger with REAL bread and French fries ever again in my life? Hell no! Life is much too short to deny ourselves of these simple pleasures every now and again. We just can’t eat like that all of the time or that shit will catch up with you, trust me! We are already on day seven and feeling MUCH better. Increased energy and less brain “fog” as well as increased overall mood. I know the sugar crash is coming because I've had a bit of a headache the last several days, but that’s OK. Once we get past the first couple weeks, it will become easier and easier. I know that this process will take more than a diet change and that exercise needs to be incorporated as well, which is why we have started going to the gym as often as we can. For me, weight loss is about more than just exercise and more than just diet, it’s about both combined to achieve the results I need, but every person is different. Do what works for you.  I have decided to start blogging again so that I can share this journey with anyone else who has ever been in my shoes. To any of you women (or men) out there who have ever looked in the mirror and felt horrified wondering, “How did I get here?” This blog is dedicated to you. I want to share pictures and recipes so that you can re-create them! Share with your friends, or share with the world! I don’t have any “secret” recipes (how silly). I have always wanted “helping others” to be the biggest part of my life and hopefully this small gesture of a health foods blog can do just that. I hope you will join me on this adventure and give the Whole30 a try for yourself! Available on Kindle and Amazon for a very low price compared to what we pay if we don’t choose to get healthy. Leave your comments. Swap your recipes with me. Teamwork and community is an amazing thing. I will do my very best to upload on here at least once per week with new pictures and recipes and in return, all I ask is for feedback, love and support from all of you wonderful people who are on the same journey as me. Let’s motivate each other and do this together. No more broken promises to ourselves. Let’s not look back in 2016 and say “damn, I failed myself again.” Let’s move forward into the future with confidence so that we can truly feel happy with ourselves and succeed in our lives. Here is to a kick-ass 2015!

ALSO: BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY INSTAGRAM FEED FOR ADDITIONAL PICTURES, RECIPES AND INSPIRATION FOR THIS WHOLE30 JOURNEY:) Follow me at: http://instagram.com/whole30happyjord/

AND PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/jordanr322/

In health, love and happiness

- Jordan