I wanted to do a write-up of something I tried over this past month. I don’t necessarily care if anyone reads this, but it’s more for my benefit. But if you want to continue reading, be my guest!
I have drastically reduced the amount of running I have been doing the last few months. Partly because I was done with marathon training and just needed a break and partly because I just simply haven’t been motivated. However, a side effect of not running, for me, is gaining weight. My weight had been creeping up and up for the past six months or so and I really wanted to get a handle on it. I struggle with nutrition and had to somehow get a handle of what I was eating.
I had seen several blogger and FB friends who had completed the Whole30. Since you rarely hear about 100% improvement from everyone who tries it, I figured I had to look into it.
It appealed to me for several reasons:
- It’s not a “diet”. This program is meant to change the way that you view food and the way your craving work. It is not necessarily intended to be the way you will eat forever (although you could). It is mostly just a 30 day “reset”.
- It gave strict rules. I’m kind of a black or white person. Any diet that preaches “moderation” probably won’t work for me (or at least wouldn’t have *more on that later). I appreciated that it said exactly what I could and could not eat
- It focuses less on weight loss and more on health-both physical and mental. I know that I didn’t have the best relationship with food. I’m an emotional and boredom eater. Whole30 focused on getting rid of my cravings and helping me find a way to get control over what I ate.
- It was only 30 days. If I could eat this way for 30 days, I would at the very least be proud of myself.
So I went for it. Here’s a summary of how I ate for the last 30 days:
- No added sugars (real or artificial)
- No grains
- No dairy
- No legumes
- No alcohol
- No carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites
- No re-created baked goods, junk foods, or treats
Yes it was difficult. No it was not impossible. In fact, I found it easier than I thought it would be. I’m a planner by nature and that really helped me. I had to plan out my meals and prepare every night.
In the end, it was 100% worth it. I feel a lot better and healthier. Most people can point to one thing and say “Whole30 cured this!”. I’m not necessarily like that, but I know that I am healthier. I had a doctor’s appointment a week ago and all the tests came back perfect. I also lost 10 pounds.
Most importantly, my relationship with food has changed. I am much more in control. I’m sure I won’t eat this strictly for the rest of my life, but I think I’m in a much better place to make informed decisions about what I am putting in my mouth. I’m no longer a slave to the ice cream that will inevitably be sitting in the freezer at some point, but I may still have some :)
If anyone is interested in more information, you can find all the resources here: http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/
I also have a copy of the Whole30 book if anyone wants to borrow it.
Thanks for reading!
