a new journey {whole 30}

this week i started the #whole30 challenge because i knew that i was way past due to take control of the way that i have been eating and the way that i think about food.

i need to set an example for micah and have a healthy relationship with food. i need to change the way that i view food. i want to be able to view food as fuel and nourishment and not as a comfort or a way to deal with stress. one of my friends was about to start the challenge and asked if i wanted to join her so that we would both have support and encouragement over the next 30 days. i am so glad she asked because it was the motivation i needed to start this new journey to a healthier me.

i am so ready to have more energy and not feel so tired and sluggish. when i was pregnant fell into the 'baby gets what baby wants' and it led to some very unhealthy choices. now over a year later and i am still stuck in those unhealthy habits. i have so badly wanted to stop but found it far to overwhelming and hard to do on my own. i am not a 'dieter' but i needed a plan to stick to so that i could kick the cravings for sugar, carbs and bad fats i have been having. 

having a meal plan has saved me from caving many times this week. i am pretty flexible and if i'm not hungry for what i have on the menu that day i make something up or pick a different meal from the week. below are a few meals that i whipped up this week. if try and post my meals on instagram @cleaneats_amber if you want to follow along. if you want to know more about the whole 30 progam you can read about it here.

 so far day 4 and 5 have been the hardest for cravings but i can see changes in myself already and can notice how my thinking about food is changing. when i go to grab an afternoon snack i ask myself if i'm really hungry or if i'm just eating bust boredom? or do i need fuel for the rest of the afternoon?

my eyes have also been opened to the amount of additives in food and the insane amount of sugar added into so many food, not just sweet treats. i have always been aware of it just never really paid to much attention to the details of it. 

i am excited for the next 25 days but i know that it will not always be the easiest (hello easter next weekend) but i do know that it will be worth it in the end.