And also.

Today is also day 2 of my whole30 journey. I have always struggled with my weight. I was pretty much always a little fluffy. I used to say "Oh I was a chubby kid." But now that I've grown up a little, I see that I wasn't all that chubby. I was just, not skinny. And that's okay. Honestly, I wouldn't mind being in my "fat" phase after high school again.

What's not okay is how much I love sugar. And carbs. Oh the carbs! Delicious.

Not that good for you. So the last few months, I had really taken a look at what I was eating. I went for the "healthy" carbs. I would have the greek yogurt. I made everything from scratch. Eliminated so many preservatives. And I still wasn't losing any weight.

Then I had a gall bladder attack. Oh boy, that wasn't fun at all. So after that, I had realized meat was a big trigger. So I avoided meat for almost two months. I would eat some here and there. And at first, I was losing. Then it kind of stalled. The number would go up and down, again. One day, I had lost. Five days later, I was right back where I started. I know that most people fluctuate. And that's okay. But its not okay to fluctuate where I'm currently at. So my good friend (more like sister), Jenn, had told me about this "whole 30" thing she was doing. And I told her straight up that I wouldn't be able to do it. I think I even said "But I love milk too much!" And I'm pretty sure her insightful response was something along the lines of, "You'd be surprised at what you CAN do for your health!" Then I checked the book, It Starts With Food, out from the library. At first I skipped around reading this rule or that. And then I sat down and REALLY read the book. And wow. So much information! What really got me was, my typical day was some one who had been eating "healthy" but not a whole30 day. And it said, do you struggle weight loss? Sleep? Staying focused? I realized then that I was sold and needed to try it. I'm stuck in a rut with my body. I need to change something. The more I read, the more I talked about it, the more excited I became. My husband recently found out he has arthritis in his back. One thing that whole30 helps. He was getting excited.

I know its only day 2, but I'm still feeling confident in this decision. There will be times where I will question my ability to say "no" to certain food. I know this. It's something I've struggled with my whole life. I'm hopeful that this will stick with me. I know Rome wasn't built in a day and I won't lose everything I want to in a month. But this is about more than that. I'm more concerned with my overall health than just getting rid of the pounds.

In short, if you see me trying to sneak chocolate in the next 30 days, feel free to give me a talking to.

REMEMBER BONNIE. Fighting cancer is hard. Kicking heroin is hard. But going on a restricted diet for 30 days? Not that hard.

National Autism Day

Today is National Autism Awareness day. My kids, do not have autism. No one in my immediate family is on the spectrum. However, I do know several people with children/relatives on the spectrum. The causes are unknown.

But what I do know, is that there are moms out there who need support. They don't want to hear "I'm sorry" because they aren't. They don't want to asked "How do you do it?" because they just do. Autism is a part of their children's lives, and it makes them who they are. They aren't perfect, no one is. But the day to day isn't always easy, and it isn't always hard. I sometimes feel like I don't say the "right" thing, and its so easy to offend people these days, so please, if you are reading this and I get it wrong, that's not my intention. I hope that maybe viewing some of the blogs that you'll at least get a better appreciation for these moms who let their kids be who they are with out judgement and without trying to mold their kids to fit something they aren't. I hope that maybe, if your friends choose to vent to you about their child's struggles, you'll just listen and allow them to get it out. No need to find answers, just to be an ear for them.

This blog will take you my friend Kristy's blog. I have known her for seven years! Granted, it was through an online community for pregnancy, but she's still someone I have admired through out the years. She and a few others have really become more than just "internet" friends. She's been through a lot. She works so hard. I'm blessed to see this all the time in her face book posts and messages. She's a mom, like I am, trying her best, like the rest of us.

http://www.kristinewyllys.com/2014/04/throwing-open-curtains-and-stimming.html?spref=fb