Alright guys, this post has been in the works for... awhile. I actually did my first Whole 30 in November, but getting all the graphics together, food pictures organized, and food diaries written up took forever. That being said, I'm excited to share my experience with Whole 30.
Particularly this time of year (New Year's resolutions anyone?) you may have heard the buzzword Whole 30 thrown around. Whole 30 is a 30 day 'nutritional reset'. I'm not going to go into crazy detail, because that's why their website exists. Essentially, for 30 days you only eat tons of veggies, fruit, meat, eggs, seafood, limited nuts, seeds, oils, and ghee (clarified butter). Another key is to eat vegetables at every meal. Veggies with breakfast was probably the biggest adjustment.
There is an equally lengthy list of things you do not eat for 30 days... added sugar in any form (sugar, honey, maple syrup, artificial sweeteners, stevia, etc...), dairy, grains (including corn), legumes (including soy, peanuts, beans, lentils), alcohol, or artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors. Additionally, no desserts or "compliant" baked goods.
Ordinarily, I don't condone eliminating entire groups of food from my diet. I think moderation in all things is perfectly healthy. So, why did I bother with Whole 30? Well, Whole 30 provides in-depth explanations of the reason behind eliminating each, and a strategy for re-introducing them. It also has a ton of structure. I have done terribly following through with any health of fitness goals for the last couple years. Terribly. I have become far too dependent on caffeine, energy spikes from sugar and other simple carbs, and lazy take out. And I was really starting to feel that dependence. I was overly tired and just felt thick. When most of my go-to jeans started feeling snug and I was too nervous to step on the scale, I knew I had to do something.
What I really needed was a reset of my eating habits. I needed something tremendously defined, because I know myself and my health flakiness. Exact amount of time? Check. Explicit rules? Check. People who have shared crazy success stories? ...Okay... maybe not required, but check!
So, mid October, I committed to doing a Whole 30 in November. All of November, even Thanksgiving. I did my pantry clean out, tons of food and recipe research, and lots of grocery shopping.
So you're probably wondering how it went?
I will go into great detail in my upcoming food diary post, but overall it was definitely a success. I totally kicked my sugar cravings- I no longer crash without sugar and when I eat more than just a little, my body isn't pleased with me. My snacking urges are thoroughly reduced, and I actually want vegetables. Like I crave salad. Madness. And as an added mega bonus, I lost 14lbs. In one month, without additional exercise. I never got the crazy energy folks talked about when they shared their experiences, but I didn't feel constantly tired. Definitely a win overall. It was a lot of work and time in the kitchen, but absolutely worth it.
I will go into great detail in my upcoming food diary post, but overall it was definitely a success. I totally kicked my sugar cravings- I no longer crash without sugar and when I eat more than just a little, my body isn't pleased with me. My snacking urges are thoroughly reduced, and I actually want vegetables. Like I crave salad. Madness. And as an added mega bonus, I lost 14lbs. In one month, without additional exercise. I never got the crazy energy folks talked about when they shared their experiences, but I didn't feel constantly tired. Definitely a win overall. It was a lot of work and time in the kitchen, but absolutely worth it.
I did that Whole 30 solo, but husband was very, very impressed with the results and wanted to do one in January, so alas here I am again. I am not doing a full blown Whole 30, mostly because I already had a few food-centric commitments and I hate eating out on Whole 30. However, a solid 95% of my food consumed is and will continue to be Whole 30 'compliant'.
Anyone else doing a Whole 30 this month? Any questions you'd like addressed in upcoming posts? Let me know in the comments below!
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I haven't done whole 30. I've looked at it many times but it just seemed like too much work and I didn't agree with everything. I've heard good things, though, and I'm happy you shared! 14lbs? thats crazy!
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ReplyDeleteI have major sugar cravings so this would be really good for me, thanks for sharing your experience.
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I am half way through my first Whole30 and I am very happy with how it is going. I really thought that I wouldn't last especially since I love my weekend wine. I also did it to reset my eating habits and find that I don't crave the sugar or junk like I did before too. I also find that I am less hungry and that has helped with a few pounds shed already. I know you're not supposed to weigh yourself during, but come on! When my pants were fitting better, I had to check. Once it's over, I plan on moving to a clean eating plan and will add back in dairy and legumes. I hope to be about 80-90% clean because you have to treat yourself (nachos!) and like I said, I love my wine! I am looking forward to your food diary post to possibly get some ideas on different foods. As I'm sure you know, boredom from the same types of foods is an issue with the program.
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