W30:Day 23

I wish I could say I've made it this far on my own willpower. But that's not the case. On Day 16, when no one was looking, I ate some Cheetos. CHEETOS! Umm, definitely not compliant with Whole 30. I'm not sure what snapped in my brain, but obviously a switch flipped & I caved. Were the Cheetos good? Oh yeah! (Although they made my tongue feel tingly?) But the guilt was not cool. Why cave? Why Cheetos? Who knows! But instead of giving up I did what I'd do to anyone else on this journey... I acknowledged it, said life will always have bumps in the road & pressed on. I gave myself grace, which is so often hard to do. 

So, no, willpower isn't sustaining. Because trying to do things in our own strength will always bring let downs. Here's been something that has been very key in this process... Other people. I can't say enough how much support I've received. When I made my first blog post about my struggle & hit share, I almost had a panic attack. Being vulnerable & real is hard!!! But I'm so glad I did. So many people have poured their support & encouragement out on me & carried me. Also, I've had several people share their own struggles & it's refreshing to see I'm not the only one who struggles. 

Y'all. We can not walk through life alone. 

No, we can't rely on our strength. We have to lean on God to give us renewed strength day by day, no matter what circumstance you're in. And He gives it! But you know what else He gives? He gives us friends, family members, sweet cashiers at Fresh Market who encourage & share their story... He made us to walk this road with people. And I'm so glad I'm not alone. 

Brandon has been amazing. No, he's not doing it with me, but he's supporting me 100 percent. Special groceries, encouraging words, reminding me I can do this, pushing me to not quit, running with me, trying new recipes... Has it been easy for him? Probably not. I've had my emotional moments. But I know he's behind me all the way. 

I have three friends in three different states who I text nearly every day about this journey. They check on me, put up with my complaining & cheer me on. Couldn't do it without them! And one of those friends? My ARBFF who is now living in Texas? She's doing it with me. I mean, come on. That's commitment right there. It's so great to have her to commiserate with. (Only wish you were still down the street, Anne!)

Today I had a friend Facebook message me asking me if I wanted to meet her for a cardio class at our community center. And guess what? It was great! We got our sweat on & then turned crazy & went back for power pump. (Gonna hurt tomorrow!) God knew I needed the push, so He sent Lyndsay. 

And then there's the texts & Facebook messages that just blow me away. Amazing how they always come at the right time.

I'm not sure why I'm going into all of this tonight, maybe because I'm overwhelmed with the love. But maybe it's because I see the value in community. Whether it's from a neighbor, someone from church, friends & family members across state lines, someone at work, a spouse, we all need someone. No matter what journey we're on. 

On to the food! 

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Whole 30 burger & "fries". B grilled burgers & I diced up a sweet potato for me. Lettuce, mustard, burger, mashed avocado, & pico. Happy Cari. 

How I am feeling...

Mentally: Ready to finish strong. Trying not to dwell on day 31. 

Physically: Well, thanks to cardio dance party & power pump I'm pretty wiped out & gonna be crazy sore. But the food has sustained & satisfied. Feeling great! 

Craving: Ritz crackers. ;) And, as always, chocolate chip cookies.