Whole30- What and Why

I just completed my first Whole30, and I just have to get my thoughts written down while they are fresh in my head.  Up until this point, I haven't done any personal blogging, only professional so that gives you an idea of how passionate I am about food.

In this post I will share what the Whole30 is, and why I decided it was the best option for me.  Future posts will include detailed descriptions of what I ate and how I felt each day, and maybe even some new recipes (with photos) if you are looking at doing your own Whole30!  More importantly, I will also share what I learned from completing the program, and what parts I want to continue now that my thirty days are finished.

Disclaimer: My experiences on the Whole30 may not mimic yours; however, there are thousands of people who have shared success stories similar to mine.  I am not in the medical field- I will not judge you for eating pizza or ice cream. I enjoy those foods as well.  Nobody paid me to review the Whole30 (nor do "they" even know I exist!).  I simply want to educate others on how food can sometimes control us, and what we can do about it.

What is the Whole30?

If you have never heard about the Whole30, it's basically clean eating- no dairy, soy, gluten, alcohol, or refined sugar of any type for 30 consecutive days.  You can read more about it here.  The founders are passionate about eating good food, and making sure you are in control of what you are eating.  I highly recommend buying the book Whole30: The 30 Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom, which explains the program in-depth, and provides recipes for making your own good food.  If you're anything like me, you'll also end up buying It Starts With Food, which provides more of the research behind the program. My husband did not read either book, and ended up dropping out of the program on Day 7.  I had learned so much from reading, I wasn't about to give it all up! (And, maybe my stubborn nature came in handy as well).

Besides the cost of the book, the only cost for the program is the groceries you buy to make your own healthy, delicious meals.  Hopefully, in the near future I will post some ideas for completing the Whole30 on a budget.  If you are normally a "dollar mac-n-cheese" or "99 cent frozen entree" type of grocery shopper, I feel the need to warn you about the spike in your grocery bill.  You will need to budget.  Nevertheless, buying healthy ingredients to cook at home replaced what I would normally spend eating out or buying alcohol so it was (almost) a wash.   

 Why I Chose the Whole30

 My story has nothing to do with weight loss.  I am one of those lucky people whose genes have allowed me to eat almost anything I want without having to worry too much about becoming overweight.  With that being said, it's not like I don't gain a few pounds after a weekend away, drinking alcohol and eating out; it's just that I have always been pretty good about portion control at meal times.  So why would a 5'4, 115 pound gal need to diet? Let me introduce you to my favorite new quote:  

"Weight is not the only indicator of good health."

This is the phrase I found myself repeating day after day during my Whole30.  Questions about why I would want to commit to this type of program started pouring in from family, friends, co-workers, and even strangers (I actually had to defend my decision to a man working in the meat department of the grocery store after asking if the pork had any added sugar.  He proceeded to give me his unsolicited advice about not needing to diet because I don't have any more weight to lose. Seriously people-none of your business!). If a slightly overweight person says they are making an attempt to eat more healthy, nobody bats an eye.  But if a petite girl who is addicted to sugar and eats more pasta than Garfield decides she wants to control her sugar dragon, suddenly everyone is concerned.  (Yes, I know this is mostly out of love...except for Mr. Meat Man. Haha).

A family friend introduced me to the Whole30 in December of 2015.  She was about to start the Whole30 for the second time and was looking for others to join in on the fun.  For nearly 15 years I had been struggling to eat healthy.  Growing up, my mom was an amazing cook, and meals of meat, potatoes, and vegetables were a daily occurrence in my household.  Family gatherings consisted of at least two meats, three vegetables, numerous salads, and even more desserts.  Let's be honest- food brings people together.  And it just tastes so good.  But after going off to college and developing less-than-healthy habits, I needed a fresh start.  I needed to get back to those meat and veggie days. the days of boundless energy and clear skin.

The Whole30 was unlike other diets.  The program is designed to change habits, and that's exactly what I needed.  With two young children and a full-time job, breakfast was always on the go.  I was grabbing a half of a bagel or a muffin (carbs, anyone?) and coffee for the car ride to work each morning.  After each meal, I craved something sweet- a piece of chocolate, a dessert, anything with sugar.  My energy was lacking and I was often irritable.  I was living proof that there is such thing as HANGRY (angry from being hungry).  I wanted clear skin as a 30-something year-old adult.  Mood swings and sugar spikes had their hold on me and I welcomed an opportunity to free myself from letting food control my emotions and behaviors.

Willpower I Didn't Know I Had

Don't think for a second that this was an easy task.  I once read a study that mentioned it takes 21 days to develop a new habit, so I knew I had to find more than just a week long detox or 14 day cleanse if I really wanted to see change. The Whole30 program is designed to allow a whole month for your body to learn how to properly burn fat, use food for fuel, and heal any damages poor diet has had on you.  As an added bonus, you become aware of how companies sneak sugar into many common foods, and you learn how to tell the difference between "cravings" and "hunger".  One of my favorite take-aways was being able to enjoy the natural sweetness of fruits instead of relying on baked goods or sugary sodas to get my fix.  I've heard sugar has proven to be more addicting than cocaine, and I can believe it!

I was one of those people who never wanted to stray too far from my comfort zone, especially when it came to giving up a beloved food.  In addition to my sugar addiction, I also had an unhealthy attachment to complex carbohydrates.  Comfort foods, such as bread and pasta, were my go-to meals and snacks.  My family learned to just pass the bread and butter straight to my end of the table when we dined out at restaurants that serve this before meals.  My Christmas and birthday gifts usually involved at least one loaf of delicious bread, either homemade or from Breadsmith company.  While helping me move into a new house, a friend teased me about having several boxes marked "pasta" to unload into my new pantry.  Even when my youngest was showing signs of a milk protein allergy as a newborn, I was scared to give up all dairy in order to continue breastfeeding, and decided on a very expensive formula instead.  If only I had known about the Whole30 program four years ago! And if only I had known how much willpower I really had!

Stay Tuned

As promised, I will dive into what I did to prepare for my first Whole30, including must-haves and things I wish I had known beforehand.  My next few posts will highlight this information, along with a day-by-day synopsis of what to expect if you're thinking about taking the plunge into good health.  I welcome any comments or questions from those of you thinking about starting your own Whole30.  Or if you're a Whole30 veteran, I welcome any advice for life after the Whole30!  

God's Blessings,
A Good Food Fanatic