The Whole28.5: Just a Work Week Left

The Whole 28 and a Half: Just a Work Week Left

Monday Memories

It's our Fifth and Final Monday of The Whole28.5 Challenge. So many Mondays waking up with new motivation from a week of success, or with new resolve after a possible snafoo or two. That First Monday when we were full of anticipation of how this was all going to work. That Second Monday when we were sleepy and grumpy and thinking this would never end. And now we are here at The Last Monday and we're completely in the rhythm, we've mastered our grocery lists, and we couldn't care less about cheese (okay, well we care a little bit about cheese...). So let's have a thought about the future:

"Breaking the Fast"

In just a few short days, we will be reintroducing ourselves to an unrestricted eating world. Fried foods, Oreos, and frozen daiquiris once again at our fingertips. Okay, hopefully that isn't exactly the menu that's waiting for us on Saturday, but we will no longer be held within the confines of The Whole28.5 Challenge. And yet...haven't these "Rules and Regulations" transformed into some pretty decent habits by now? I have a feeling that a good deal of this challenge is going to hang around for the long haul. I am totally down for this. But JUST IN CASE your reintroduction to "The Noms" is going to be a little more rough and tumble, I just thought it would be a good idea to lay out some pointers for when we all "break the fast."

- Remember: the transition back into your normally-scheduled-diet is almost as important as the whole Challenge itself!
Instead of going "all out" on Day 35 with a milkshake, cheesesteak and martini, why not make this a more gradual process, where if you intend to reintroduce foods like dairy or grains, start small with one serving a day. Also, this is a really good way to test sensitivities! Now that you've "cleaned house," if you pop a sandwich on your menu this Saturday and find yourself bloated and crampy, you might realize that gluten doesn't really do you right. The same with dairy! Who knows! No matter what, it's best to take these steps slowly so as not to derail the hard work on The Whole28.5. 

- DON'T ditch the water!
This one is pretty epic. I know that for a lot of people, drinking water isn't their favorite thing. But hopefully, we've worked hard to get in our water quota every day to the point where it's second hand now! But if you intend to put more carbohydrates (besides your fruits and veggies!) back on your plate, remember that they are "water suckers" and you will need to keep that H2O flowing!

- Be patient, honest, and kind to yourself.
Yup, that sounds pretty squishy, I know. But this one might be the most important tip. After completing an elimination-style kickstart like The Whole28.5 Challenge and allowing yourself to re-indulge in your trigger foods, inflammatory foods, and especially "unhealthy foods" (I'm not going to stop anyone from digging into those Buffalo Wings or Chocolate Ice Cream if that is what you need to do!) can lead to sugar/carb hangovers, water retention, weight gain and even a repeat of the Carb-Flu from the beginning of the Challenge. Don't beat yourself up and don't think you've thrown the past 34 days out the window. You'll throw those HABITS back into action and be right as rain in no time. ;)

HABITS not RULES!

There will always be chicken thighs...

We have a few more days left to plan our re-entry, but I'm 100% positive that we don't need prep time! We've created a whole new eating lifestyle. And guys, it's awesome.

If you have any questions, concerns, stories to tell, PLEASE feel free to share! You can comment here on the blog, send me a message on Facebook, or email me at Rachel@RachelPinkstone.com

- Be cool, Soda Pop -