six months

Local produce is SO yummy.

It's been exactly six months since I raided the candy jar at my office. Six months since I've had pizza or sushi. Six months of taking sole twice a day, recording what I eat and when I eat it, and having to remember to eat every few hours. Six months of having people look at me, concerned, when I pull out my pill case of supplements, like at Thanksgiving when my cousin-in-law looked at me and asked, "Are you dying?"
 
But you want to know the crazy thing? It hasn't been that bad.

When we first started this nutrition journey with Sarah, I was motivated at the time but in the back of my mind I had doubts as to the sustainability of it. Could we really live like this, forever?
 
As it turns out, we can. And it's really, really good.
 
Now, it's just...our normal. It's our lifestyle. We eat incredibly healthy 99 percent of the time and splurge when the occasion warrants it - which is how it should be.

It's hard to feel deprived when eating this.

Occasionally, I crave pizza. Or want cookies. But I've been pleasantly surprised to notice that I don't really miss pasta. I miss the sauces, but we just make marinara sauce or cream sauce for chicken instead.
 
I miss the ease of sandwiches sometimes, but not necessarily the sandwiches themselves - and I've learned that Jimmy Johns "unwich" lettuce-wrapped sandwiches are actually wonderful.
 
Once I got the all-clear from Sarah to have a little high-quality dark chocolate every day, I learned I'm perfectly satisfied with that. In fact, we've really enjoyed trying different dark chocolates and have gotten to be quite the connoisseurs. So far, my favorite is Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Lovers Bar (TJs for the win. Always).
 
And butter. Oh my God, you guys, all the butter. So much butter. It. Is. Amazing. We've started buying the two-pound log of butter from Happy Cow Creamery, and y'all. It's a game-changer. Do you know how good butter makes EVERYTHING taste?
 
It's no surprise that when, on a visit to Sarah, my level of fats was perfect, I had also dropped five pounds from my previous visit. Having enough fats causes your body to burn fat - because it knows you have enough stored up. Sounds counterintuitive, but it's true. Fats are your friend. Lesson learned. 

Such a decadent, fantastic meal.

And, y'all, don't get me started on my rockstar of a husband. He has lost something like 25 pounds doing nothing but eating a high-fat, low-carb diet. No additional exercise, no going to the gym, nothing. He eats steak, green beans with butter, chicken in cream sauce...and the change has been unbelievable. He's wearing outfits I've never seen before because they were previously too small - it's like, whole new wardrobe! I don't think either of us expected that drastic of a transformation. And it's been so simple.
 
Not always easy - there are days when we just really want a pizza and a beer on our patio - but simple. And now we know: it's sustainable. We can do this. We are empowered, healthy, and HAPPY. We feel better. My energy, though always on the low side, has gone up. Mentally, physically, spiritually, we have just blossomed.

And you can, too. As summer gears up and fresh vegetables become more plentiful and less expensive, now is a great time to make a change. If you're thinking about embarking on a nutrition journey, just know this: we are doing it. Every day. And you can, too. I'm so over here cheering you on. And I'm here to answer any questions you may have. Take care of your bodies, friends. It's the only one you get.
 
xoxo,
E & B