Denver

Lights in Larimer Square

I successfully completed almost two thirds of my first ever whole 30 when I slipped.

I went to Denver for a long weekend - a trip I had planned months prior to deciding I'd do a whole 30 - and ate out for every single meal. I did great at first, but then relaxed with my ordering, and accidentally ordered some ahi sliders that were in burger form (why on earth I thought this would be in any other form, I'll never know!) with who knows what mixed into it, coleslaw on top and some soy based glaze.

The next day I was perfect! Then the next night I ordered lamb sweetbreads. I think I was so thrilled at the thought of organ meat at a restaurant that I completely overlooked the fact that they were fried. As in battered, and fried!

I was so hungry and they looked so delicious, and I was embarrassed if I'm being perfectly honest! So I ate them.

Which naturally opened the floodgates. It didn't help that my friends were thoroughly encouraging me to give it up already, and just enjoy myself for one weekend.

Donut holes from Jelly Cafe

So then I had delicious creme fraiche gelato with Mexican chocolate ice cream. And went nuts yesterday with a breakfast of four made to order gluten free donut holes: lemon custard, jelly filled, creme anglaise and chocolate anglaise. Then a late lunch/early dinner of tomato braised meatballs with burrata cheese and grits finished off with more gelato. Oh and coconut milk-based salted caramels that were thoroughly disappointing!

My downfall wasn't traveling, it was traveling and spending time with friends with whom I hadn't clearly communicated what a priority this was for me.

And so I reset! Jan 23 is the beginning of my second Whole30. I plan on making it last until March at the very least, and I also plan on not telling people of the date that I'm shooting for. If I leave it open-ended then perhaps I can avoid the ahh but that's only 2 days from now just enjoy yourself argument. I was going to reset today, but forgot that the breakfast/lunch food for today that I had frozen before I left has butter in it!

Either way, I am really committed to sticking to this. The rumbling of my tummy after the debauchery of the last few days tells me that I was on the right path!!

On a positive note, while I did indulge in sugar, dairy and a little gluten I was successful in not drinking alcohol or caffeine!

I think this is a good experience for me. When I considered doing the Whole30 in January, I figured that it would be a good challenge to do it when I had travel plans. Now I know that I either need to not travel on a Whole30, or I can travel on a Whole30 but I need to effectively communicate that with the people I will be around. it is also a bit of a lesson for me in knowing my limits. I took on a LOT this January with my ambitious 36 in 2013 campaign!

I also broke my spending freeze - an $18 purse at Target! I think I actually want to return it, but regardless, the spirit of the exercise was still violated. I think I'm just going to let my January spending freeze die a quiet death, and pick up on my spending freeze plan in March! I certainly don't plan on purposefully going out with the mindset of shopping, but I don't want to be discouraged by failing so much in my first month!

So here's to grabbing my goals by the horns and dominating!