I’m currently on Day 17 on my second Whole30. I did my first go-round last February and in to March. I ended up taking pictures of all my meals. Which I shared on this blog. Which posts to Facebook. My pictures even inspired a post on Everyday Paleo.

Not to mention the countless tweets, twitter check-ins, instgrams, etc. that I probably cannot even recall. The beauty of starting something like the in the new year is that everyone, and it does seem like everyone, was gearing up for a whole30 or 21 day sugar detox or some super on-track sustained paleo effort. I was at an off time last year and missed the bruhahaha.

So this year, I’m with the crowd…but I’ve tuned out. And that’s weird. I mean, it’s nice in many ways, but to have an online community (or any community!) engaged to a somewhat equal degree is a gift. And can be a powerful motivator.

So what’s it like without that camaraderie? Without the over-sharing? Without the noise?

Well, first of all it’s not that big of a deal! For the most part the days slip by. And without similar minded folks constantly slipping by my twitter feed…I kind of forget about the whole thing. That being said, I’ve kept extremely busy. Working more than usual and busting ass around the house on the weekend is a good way to keep on track (take note, naysayers who think making food changes when you’re busy or stressed is a one-way road to failure–distraction is good! Just stay prepared).

It’s also an opportunity to practice personal discipline and re-examine my own reasons. Why am I doing this? Well, because it works. Because last year after a whole30 I got a 40lb deadlift PR that I haven’t been within 15-20lbs of since. Because starting last October I spent three weeks away from home followed by the holidays. And while I don’t struggle immensely to stay paleo in even the worst of situations, vegetable oil, soy, sugar, and sometimes cheese or even corn sneak in.

A whole30 for me isn’t about a radical change. It’s about a period of consistency. And perhaps also a testing of personal limits.

So to do it in the quiet of my own head and, more or less, in the privacy of my own life. It’s a nice second go-round. Here’s to the next two weeks!