The Halfway Point!

Here we are, a little more than halfway through the month of January...No Spenduary & Whole 30, too.  Yes, we decided to take 2021 by the horns.  Now, here's the thing.  It's really easy for me to lament all the ways I got here.  The poor choices, the "pour" choices (oye, the wine!) and the choice to simply make it through the long, dark  pandemic days.  Too often that meant a different shade of self-care, one that was, if I'm honest, merely temporary.  

It's easy to go there.  It's not as easy, but extremely important, to give myself a whole heap of grace.  And focus forward.  Which is what this month is all about.  How I got here is only important in so much as it's good to understand my thought process so I can change it!

So how's it going?  Well, it's going pretty darn well.  We're both on track and haven't cheated.  Okay, wait.  Let's put that into context.  There are a handful of items for W30 that are a little harder to come by, so we use what we have, especially when it's a scant amount.  Two tablespoons of flour in an entire recipe?  I use what I have.  Or bacon with no sugar?  I go for the one with the least, knowing I'm using 3 strips for a whole meal for four.  Yeah, I know I should have almond flour or zero sugar bacon or any number of other options, but....I'm willing to bend the rules a bit for something this minor.  

We are steadfast with the other elements; no beans, no alcohol, no grains, no dairy.  We're not supposed to weigh in, but I can tell you that someone has (ahem, not me!) and has seen results.  So that's encouraging.

But really--how's it going?  Okay, truth be told, I have moments where I'm hungry.  Then again, I have days where I almost forget to eat because I feel full/satisfied.  So it changes.  And I really do miss munchies, but heaven knows I had more than enough munchies the past 10 months--a 30 day break won't kill me.  I don't really miss alcohol as much as I expected to.  Mostly because I'm feeling far more positive benefits from abstaining.

I'm less achy, my joints feel better, I definitely feel less puffy---though, again, I've not stepped on a scale.  I'm also feeling more energized through the day--most days.  And I'm sleeping much better.  I've gotten back on track with drinking plenty of water---an easy thing to skip when it's cold out, I find.  And decaf tea and I are buddy-buddy!  

Stubbornness may be a negative trait most times, but it's serving me well right about now.  I made three meals, two batches of Rice Krispie Treats and a batch of cookies recently.  Not a morsel passed my lips.  It would have been really easy to eat a spoonful of each dish--you know, to test it!--but I stayed strong and packed them up to deliver to their recipients.  I'm not even sneaking nibbles from the girls' dishes.  Another easy thing to do, almost without thinking.  And insignificant as they might seem, those sneaky calories add up.

Plus, my thought process has changed and I'm careful about what I say.  Tough day?  Oh, pour a glass of wine.  Wait--that's not the only way to cope, right?  Pens back on the ice?  Cool!  Grab a beer for the game.  Hold up--is that the best choice?  The focus here is on healthy choices---all around, and for all of us.  Even the girls are getting in on the act, blessedly!

Bottom line, we've got 12 days to go and we're going to see it through.  From past experience, we stick to a good chunk of this even beyond Day 30, too.  We're not as strict, but we're also not so slack.  We recognize the effort brings results, and we're not so keen on ruining the results by Day 35.  We've not only changed our eating habits, but our thinking habits as well.  That's huge!

And No Spenduary?  Still going strong, however....we did have a few expenses.  One was a tournament fee for Abby, one was a small care package for my Mom and then there were the kitchen appliances.  The appliances were a long-time in coming, so while we made the purchase this month, the funding had already been set aside.  So maybe that one sort of doesn't count?  And maybe the crazy good deal we got makes it better, too?  Crazy....as in saved HUNDREDS and got better pieces than what we initially chose.  So yeah, we'll take a mulligan on that one.

The other expense we had was a KidPik for each kiddo.  Thanks to my inability to pay attention to the shipping date, they showed up as a lovely little surprise.  I was prepared to simply send them back, because they fall firmly into the "extra" category, but they were kinda on point--and not outrageously-priced.  Soooooo, Happy (early) Valentine's Day, ladies.  But this is a prime example of paying attention to spending habits.  I should have known this was coming so I could have suspended it further*.  Mindless spending, just like those mindless nibbles, can getcha!

No other extras.  No eating out/ordering in.  No drive-thrus, no popping into TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Home Goods--none of it.  No Add to Cart, no just because-s.  I guess being mostly homebound helps with that, but even our online shopping has been shut down.  All it takes is a glance at my bank balance (and the activity ledger that's pretty empty!) to see that this is making the impact we set out to make with this exercise.  

Twelve days to go (with two half birthdays, one REAL birthday and two report cards to celebrate!) and we're determined to hold the line, stay true to our goals and make the most of this first month of 2021.  After last year, flipping the script and trying new ways of doing things felt like an obvious and popular choice.  Cheers to however you're choosing to welcome the new year.

xo,
Amy

*The neat thing about KidPik is that there's no up-front fee and no return postage fee.   So I really could have sent the entire box back without paying a dime.  The girls LOVE getting mail and these packages are so well done, it's hard to squelch their joy!  Like I said, Happy (early) Valentine's Day!