Cutting Down on Sugar {reflection of my second Whole 30}

Over 30 Days have passed since I began a second Whole 30. This time through was difficult and I wasn't a perfect eater. However, I feel better than I did prior to starting and I lost about ten pounds! So I'm feeling pretty positive about my second Whole 30 experience!

I'm leaving this Whole 30 focusing on keeping forward motion and making healthy choices just a daily routine. Sure I might have some birthday cake this month for my niece and nephew... but I don't want to make it a weekly habit.

Our family is trying to figure out what we can enjoy as a healthy Whole 30-ish menu that gives us a little wiggle room for foods we love. Foods that are not compliant but foods we can still eat because they do not negatively  dictate our moods or cloud our thoughts {say oatmeal...} . I've just started really poking around the website whole9life.com to see the wisdom shared there and possibility let that inspire our upcoming meal plans and food choices.

I'll wrap up this reflection with a few tips that I thought about during these last 30 days.

Build Momentum + Make Eating Healthy Easier
It is definitely easier to turn down sweets after the first two weeks of Whole 30. Build on that and just keep staying away from all forms of sugar. When you sneak a little something it is very difficult to keep that sugar high off your mind and sweets away from your plate.

Bulk Prep + Stream Lined Planning
The final two weeks of our Whole 30 I really simplified meal planning. As in I made the week's worth of compliant breakfasts {one breakfast item that we ate daily - such as mini breakfast bakes} and the week's worth of compliant lunches on Sunday afternoon {also one main lunch dish that would be enjoyed with a fruit and large salad for the entire week's worth of lunches - such as a hearty soup or stew}. Then Monday and Tuesday I would make dinner, but make enough to eat several times. This meant I was buying in bulk and cooking in bulk and making very few menu decisions. It was automatic and simple and didn't give me the option to stray from the diet guidelines. We were not having loads of choices, but since our foods were based on healthy proteins and vegetables we were getting all the carbohydrates, calcium, and protein our bodies needed from maybe five to six total different meals over the entire week.

Make a Mistake + MOVE ON!
I wrote about my run-in with a bowl of ice cream. I forgave myself and then continued right on. If I would have made a huge deal I would have made more poor food decisions in the following days due to my guilt.

So, how about you? Try any great Whole 30 inspired recipes lately? Or healthy meals without a ton of sugar, gluten, or dairy? I'd love to hear about it!