I woke up on Days 2 and 3 feeling… oddly amazing.
Clear. Focused. Energized.
Normally I start my mornings foggy, with eyes that take their sweet time deciding to work. But these two days? I felt like someone had turned the lights on in my brain.

And then 2 p.m. hit.

That’s when the Sugar Dragon started creeping in — slow at first, then full‑blown “feed me or I’ll burn this place down.”

According to the Whole30 rule book, if you’re genuinely hungry, you should snack. Thankfully, I had prepped some good options: Chomps sticks, apples, pistachios. But those were supposed to be pre‑ or post‑workout snacks… not emergency “save me from myself” snacks.

Still, I ate half.
And it helped.
Then I ate the other half before my workout, and that worked pretty well too.

But the real test came when I walked through the front door after a long day.

Because here’s my truth:
The second I get home, I go straight for the jelly beans. It’s a reflex. A ritual. A tiny, sugary hug.

Except… I’m on Whole30.
And the jelly beans were boxed up like contraband.

I was annoyed.
I was tired.
I was hungry.
And I was absolutely not in the mood to be virtuous.

Then — like a beacon from the heavens — I saw it on the counter.

A bag of dates.
My husband had bought them.
A golden ticket. A lifeline. A miracle.

Now, I know the Whole30 rules.
Dates aren’t supposed to be your “I miss sugar” replacement.
So I had to be strategic.

I paired a few dates with my high‑protein dinner, and it was exactly what I needed.
It calmed the hunger.
It soothed the Sugar Dragon.
And it kept me from diving headfirst into the jelly bean drawer like a raccoon in a dumpster.

Days 2 and 3: survived.
Barely.
But survived.