I'm back! another Whole 30 experience

So.... I'm back blogging about another Whole 30 experience.  This is my fourth time to do a Whole 30.  My first one was back in May of 2014. (before it was cool! #trendsetter) You can read all about my experience here. I don't think I will have too many new insights to share, but I want to document how this W30 is different than the times past for a few reasons.  First, I have a toddler.  If you also have a toddler, you know what this implies--- no time to cook because someone is constantly crying "hold me! hold me!" and exhaustion from work and toddler life is real so I feel even more pulled to heat up that Jimmy Dean sausage breakfast sandwich sitting in my freezer than I did before.   Second, I'm curious to see how my body responds this time around. I'm consistently working out doing Crossfit (shout out Crossfit City Limits) so I am excited to see how my body changes with clean food and a consistent gym schedule. I can't wait to see some #gains.  And lastly, I am motivated to try another W30 because my pregnancy and breastfeeding kept my autoimmune issues at bay (one of the perks of pregnancy!), they've come back. Around the time of my first W30, I was also diagnosed with undifferentiated connective tissue disease which is a fancy way of saying my body attacks its own tissues, but I don't have lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. My joints ache often, mostly in my right wrist and it can feel like someone has a small needle poking the inside of my joints. And to top it all off, I was diagnosed with hidradenitis suppurativa in early 2018, which is a skin condition with small, painful bumps typically under the armpits. Luckily my neurologist is classifying my multiple sclerosis as benign so I don't really worry about it too much these days since I haven't had any symptoms for years. So now that I've laid all my personal health information out on the table.....

How did I get roped into doing another round of W30? Well, I have one of my students to thank for that.  She said she was interested in doing it, roped in her mom as well, and I somehow volunteered to do it alongside her.  Gah, I'm such a good youth minister. She isn't starting until the 15th, two days before one of our youth events.  (I will pray for your survival, E.) I admire her determination to try something like this as a teenager.  When I was teen, all I cared about was what I was going to order from Las Palapas or if I was going to get tortillas and queso from Alamo Cafe after youth on Wednesday.  I was never concerned with my heath.  Maybe that's part of the reason I find myself back to another round of whole 30-- because I FINALLY care about my health.  I want to model a healthy relationship with food to my daughter, my family, my students, and my friends.  A relationship with food that allows for yummy treats here and there, but is fundamentally rooted in foods that nourish my body so I can perform at my best, whether that's in the gym, writing a sermon, or hanging out with my lovely teenagers.

Thanks for journeying alongside me. I hope you'll interact with my posts and let me know what you're thinking too.