Whole 30 – My Why

Happy April, friends! This post makes me mildly nervous to write because it’s something I don’t speak on often (via my blog or to friends really) but I kept pondering on whether I should share my story with you all. I, in fact, took to social media last night and simply asked if this would be of any interest to you all. I was taken back by how many people said yes! And comforted as well by those who shared their experience, journey and outcome of the challenge. This blog can be therapeutic for me and by shouting from the rooftops that I’m participating I’m hoping will only keep me accountable to stick to the next 25 days.

With that….as of Saturday, April 1 I’ve been participating in the Whole30 challenge! As I began to share with a few friends I realized there’s quite a few people who aren’t aware what the Whole 30 is, what it means, etc. To begin I’ll share my why and then get into what this all means….

My Why

Staring August of 2015 I began on a fitness and health journey to prepare for my wedding that October. I became one of those crazy brides who should have worn one of those ‘Sweating for the Wedding’ shirts. I hit the gym (for the first time ever), started Pure Barre and began to monitor my eating habits through the Paleo diet. I worked out about 5 times a week and followed the Paleo guidelines within reason (i.e. I still had 1 Diet Coke a day and continued to use soy sauce, ate Chick-fil-a once or twice, etc.). I managed to lose 15 pounds in two months and it was awesome! I felt great, looked great but always knew that wasn’t the lifestyle I was looking for long-term. I continued to eat healthy(ish) and maintained my weight loss. Fast forward to this past November when we moved out of our apartment, the holidays were in full swing and my eating habits began to spiral out of control. Cookies, cake, chips and the like were becoming more than simple indulgences to enjoy from time to time. Excessive junk food on top of removing exercise for 30 days had changed my body, my mindset and my moods. I began to feel lethargic, unmotivated and simply not in control of my mind and it’s craving for all things unhealthy. My want for something to help get me back on track aligned with the Whole30’s mission and presented me with the opportunity to reset my taste buds and bring back the mindset of fueling my body with healthy and wholesome nourishment.

I had heard about the Whole30 challenge primarily through social media as well as a few friends that had taken the dive (and yes some that had even failed) and was so inspired by their stories of rejuvenation and mindfulness of eating wholesome foods. I began to do additional research and now have decided to take the plunge.

My Game Plan

I’m keeping things simple! Balanced meals that are easy, can be prepped ahead of time and that offer a variety to my palette. Meal planning and prep is not a foreign concept to me so I know as long as I intentionally create the time to get my act together this can’t be that bad!

The In’s and Out’s 

What is Whole 30?

The plan is marketed as a lifestyle change and is intended to strip certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy, legumes) from your diet completely so that you can begin to understand if and how these foods are affecting you.

What are the rules?

Eat moderate portions of meat, seafood and eggs; a lot of vegetables, some fruit, natural fats, herbs, spices and seasonings. This leaves out:

• Added sugar (real or artificial): goodbye Diet Coke, goodbye Splenda in my coffee,
• Alcohol: au revoir to my beloved pinot noir
• Grains: no morning cinnamon toast, no whole wheat noodles and certainly no more sushi
• Legumes: no beans of any sort, chickpeas (bye, bye hummus) or peanuts and peanut butter
• Dairy: so long coffee creamer and post-workout yogurts
• Carrageenan, MSG or sulfites: i.e. no processed or prepared foods
• Baked good, junk foods or ‘treats’ with approved ingredients: think gluten free cookies, cauliflower pizza crust

The plan even emphasizes the importance of not weighing yourself for the next 30 days believing that this isn’t about the number on the scale but your mentality and overall well being.

So far, so good

While I’m only on Day 5 things have been okay and I’m beginning to feel much more clear minded. I do feel like I am constantly hungry but I know this will go away — not to mention my stomach expanded from really indulging the days leading up to the plan.

I’ll be checking in every week with updates on how I’m doing, what I’m eating, etc. if any of you are interested in experiencing this with me!

Stay tuned 🙂