Week #3: Seeing Results

After Week #1 of the Whole30, where I was fighting my sugar cravings daily, and Week #2 where I battled The Cheesecake Fiasco (and won!), I was so ready for Week #3, and ready to see some results from all my hard work!

DAY #15:
Another snowstorm.  Another day home with my two kids, hoping to find one more idea for entertaining a 7- and 4-year old.  My mood matches the weather- bleh.  I'm having a bit of food boredom, so I plan to spend part of the day looking up new recipes and maybe moving outside my comfort zone a little.  I'm craving a nice, juicy hamburger so I make my Whole30 Ketchup and enjoy a hamburger with sauteed mushrooms, homemade fries (potato wedges with olive oil and salt), and roasted cauliflower.  I didn't necessarily miss the bun.  I can't believe Mrs. Bread-eater doesn't really miss her bread. Weird. Peanut butter? Now that's a different story.

DAY #16:
I used the leftover potato fries for breakfast and fried up some egg to make a quick and easy hash.  Lunch was leftover chicken stir fry, and I made supper easy by doing a crockpot meal tonight.  Just as I normally do, I made a roast in my crockpot with veggies and mashed potatoes, but I had to get creative with gravy.  This is where the Whole30 forum comes in handy- there's usually someone out there who has the same question as you do.  There's also usually someone out there with some answers.  Typically, I would use my juices from my roast and add a little cornstarch mixed with water and some beef bouillon to make gravy.  I didn't have any compliant flour or arrowroot powder (because, honestly, who has those things just laying around?).  I decided to make gravy from the yummy vegetables I had put into the crockpot with the roast- the celery, onion, and a bit of carrot (I kept most of the carrots whole to eat with the roast).  I added these to my food processor and then just added some of the beef broth back in to thin it out.  It actually tasted quite delicious!  I also made bone broth for the first time, and put some into jars to freeze.  I'm starting to enjoy this cooking stuff!

DAY #17:
Getting up at 6:15 a.m. has never been easier.  Maybe it's the smell of sausage, eggs, and coffee being made in the kitchen (even after hubby dropped out of the Whole30, he still offered to make breakfast for me- an added advantage to being on this diet), but I'm not even tired when I get up.  I don't have to hit the snooze button repeatedly.  I just feel good.  My energy level is much more stable, and I finally understand what everyone meant when they said "your head will be clearer". I feel like I have a better handle on my emotions, too.  Is it my mind playing games on me? Maybe. But who cares. I'm happy. Supper tonight was leftovers. I'm getting better at making sure I use everything up to save on my grocery bill!

DAY #18:
Today was the day I treated myself for making it over halfway through my first Whole30. Before Day #1, I scheduled a one-hour massage for myself, and then told myself that the only way I could keep the appointment was if I made it to the halfway point.  Not that I thought I was going to quit, but it never hurts to have an incentive in place, right? :)

Supper tonight was salmon with citrus sauce (taken from the halibut recipe in the Whole30 book), salad, and asparagus.  I also have been obsessed with reading about others' Whole30 journeys, and I discovered something one blogger calls "Monkey Munch".  It's just a mixture of sliced bananas, unsweetened coconut, and some nuts (either almonds or pecans for me, but you could use cashews or another nut of your choice).  It has helped me get through some sweet cravings, and I'm guessing I will still have it as a snack option even after my thirty days have passed. 

DAY #19:
I'm actually a little sore from my massage but not complaining- it was heavenly!  Breakfast was leftover potatoes and fried egg.  Salad for lunch, and leftover salmon and roasted cauliflower for supper.  We had poker night with friends at our house tonight, and I made myself a "mocktail", consisting of LaCroix Sparkling Water, a little lime juice, some grated ginger, and sliced strawberries for garnish.  YUM! Note: As I mentioned earlier, vodka or rum will be a great addition to this drink once I've completed the Whole30. 

DAY #20:
Breakfast was scrambled eggs with whatever veggies I needed to use up in my fridge (peppers, mushrooms, etc.).  We were out of town for lunch so I had a Subway salad, with just iceberg lettuce and spinach leaves, with a little oil/vinegar for dressing. It wasn't great.  It wasn't even good. I've heard such great things about their salads, I was hoping it would taste better. I'm sure it didn't help that I had to have the veggie option and the greens weren't as fresh as I wish they would've been.  Oh well, at least I stayed compliant while eating out again! Supper was steak, roasted sweet potatoes, and green beans with caramelized onions.  Food at its finest!

DAY #21:
I am really starting to notice a difference in my skin.  It's much smoother, so I'm wondering if it's a particular food that is causing the bumps, or if it's a hormonal imbalance that is taking care of itself while I eat healthy food.  I had leftovers for lunch while the rest of the family cooked brats.  I overlooked muffins and cookies at bible class, and it's getting much easier to resist!  Supper was roasted whole chicken, roasted squash/carrots, and salad.  I'm starting to think about what my "life after whole30" might look like.  I also made a batch of chicken bone broth to have on hand.  I'm turning into quite the "foodie".

Stay tuned for my final week!

God's Blessings,
A Good Food Fanatic

   

Week #2: The Cheesecake Fiasco

Well, I survived Week #1 of the Whole30- (yay!) I'm one man down (my husband cheated Day 7 as I mentioned in my previous post) but I'm still going strong! This week I started to notice more of the withdrawl symptoms, but I know I'm making myself more healthy and I'll make it through!

DAY #8: 
So. Tired. I really lacked energy today.  I had some menstrual cramps last night into today, my stomach is a little "off, and overall I'm just cranky.  I am frustrated that I can't satisfy my sweet tooth with some delicious dark chocolate and if I hadn't made a commitment to myself, I probably wouldn't continue.  But I promised myself 30 days and I will march on!

This morning I enjoyed leftover Sweet Potato and Chicken hash with a fried egg on top.  If you would've told me a week ago that I would be eating chicken for breakfast, I would've said you're crazy.  But it was delicious! I'm really starting to understand why breakfast is the most important meal of the day- it sets the tone for the rest of the day and makes a huge difference in my mood and energy levels! For the first time in a very long time, I wasn't feeling like coffee so I had just a few sips and then drank some lemon water this morning.  Perhaps the lack of caffeine contributed to my low energy and crankiness.

Lunch was the usual- romaine, chicken, and strawberries with herb citrus vinaigrette.  Supper was walleye and leftover cauliflower mash (if you haven't tried it, you definitely should! Don't expect a true "mashed potato consistency" but close enough and delicious!).

DAY #9:
Today I woke up with a headache and stiff neck but had much more energy than yesterday.  I'm still quite irritable (maybe because we had yet another snow day from school and I'm so over winter), but I'm feeling better today.  I enjoyed my usual scrambled eggs and sausage patties with my coffee for breakfast, and leftover sweet potato soup for lunch since I wasn't at work.  Supper was pork carnitas and green cabbage slaw- both were delicious! In fact, I ended up eating the leftover meat randomly throughout the week it was so good warmed up for leftovers.

DAY #10:
I woke up feeling good today.  It was another snow day but I didn't even feel like sleeping in (could that be because my four year old gets up at the crack of dawn?).  I had just a tad of the chicken hash leftover so I fried an egg and finished that with my coffee for breakfast.  I made the kids french toast, and it wasn't even too hard to smell and look at it without having any myself! Wow- this habit-changing must be working because this girl is a carb-addict!  I'm still a little irritable and dealing with the cravings after meals, but they aren't quite as bad as when I first started.

DAY #11:
Today was a good day!  I woke up feeling refreshed, and when I washed my face I noticed I don't have nearly as many small bumps under my skin!  This was one of the primary reasons I wanted to try the Whole30- to see if it made a difference in my skin.  I think it's working!  Cravings are down, especially after-meal cravings, but the first sweet thing I'm eating come Day 31 is chocolate, preferably a monster cookie energy ball.  Yum!

Breakfast was sausage with scrambled eggs and coffee.  My salad at lunch had a ton of fresh veggies- cucumber, red/orange pepper strips, hard-boiled egg, etc.)  For supper I made chicken stir fry.  It was so different not using the Stir Fry Sauce I typically make, and it was odd not putting it over white rice, but still really good!

DAY #12:
I felt great today! Breakfast was chicken hash w/ fried egg, and lunch was strawberries on top of a bed of spring mix with kale.  I turned down some co-workers asking to go to drinks after work because I just didn't feel like going out and just drinking water.  Most of the time that wouldn't bother me but today I didn't want the temptation.  I tried the blood orange drink from the Whole30 book and it made me feel like I was drinking my own cocktail! I will remember to add some vodka to this type of drink when I'm done with the Whole30, because I think it could be really good!

DAY #13:
Today I woke up with a headache and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the need for caffeine before 6:30 a.m. and I tried to sleep in?  Sausage/eggs for breakfast and just kind of felt "yuck" most of the day.  This was also my hardest day yet.  I'll refer to it as The Cheesecake Fiasco.  I'll preface this story by telling you that for two weeks my co-worker has been asking me if I want to buy tickets to the steak dinner they are having at their church tonight.  For two weeks I have gone back and forth on my decision, not because I have anything better to do, but because I remember how amazing the cheesecake was last year.  So one day I feel like I can totally handle passing on cheesecake while everyone else indulges and the next day I have a huge fear of giving into temptation.  So what was my decision?  I went to the steak dinner.  I politely passed on the dinner roll and corn.  I managed to discretely pull my ghee from my purse to add to my baked potato as the rest of my table loaded their potatoes with butter and sour cream.  I even brought my own salad dressing (I learned that lesson from Week 1 when I ate plain lettuce- gross!).  But then it was time for dessert.  I could've just passed but it looked so good, and I wanted to bring it home, put it in my freezer, and enjoy it with a cup of coffee in about 18 days.  So they brought it out to our table and I cannot accurately put into words what happened next.  It was as if I was a drug-addict and my body was fighting the urge to give in after thirteen days sober.  I started sweating and got really anxious.  My husband looked at me and said, "You need to just leave.  Get out of here and wait in the car."  And I did.  I had to leave!  He packaged it up in foil and brought it home to put in our freezer.  It was the oddest feeling I've ever had, and I'm convinced now more than ever that sugar can cause horrible, addictive behaviors.

DAY #14:
Today was SuperBowl Sunday.  I can't believe it, but I managed to actually go to a Superbowl party with friends and stay 100% compliant.  I brought a veggie tray so I knew I would have a healthy option to snack on.  I also brought leftover carnitas and fresh fruit so I would have something filling for supper while everyone else ate buffalo chicken dip and scotcheroo bars.  I even gave my best effort in a virgin, whole30 bloody mary by mixing V8 juice with celery salt and added olives and celery sticks.  It wasn't great.  The program also frowns upon drinking your calories, so drinking my veggies wasn't as great as I'd hoped.  I ended up drinking a can of LaCroix sparkling water and enjoyed the night with friends.


Looking forward to Week #3 post- where I start to really notice soaring energy levels!

God's Blessings,
A Good Food Fanatic

Week #1 of Whole30

If you're thinking about doing your own Whole30 and want to know what to expect, I've laid out a synopsis of what I ate and how I felt.  If you haven't read my previous two posts, you can check out Whole30:What and Why and Preparing for Your First Whole30.  Obviously, your results may be different, but like many others that have done the Whole30, my timeline was similar to what the book describes. 

Weekly Preparations
My schedule allowed me to do my grocery shopping on Saturdays and some preparation for the week on Sundays.  If you want to open up some time during the week, I would suggest preparing all of your lunches for the week at one time (for me, this was salads each day with different toppings to mix things up).  I purchased these #MyLeftovers storage containers off Amazon, and I loved them!  They held the perfect amount of salad for my lunches, they stacked well in my fridge, and they were dishwasher safe (and lined up neatly in my dishwasher as well!).

Each week, I also hard-boiled eggs to have on hand for snacks or to put on my salad lunches, and I baked several chicken breasts to add to my salads.  To cut down on time spent preparing breakfast, I cooked sausage patties or made breakfast "muffins" similar to this recipe (omit cheese) to have on hand each morning.  This way I could just pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds and I was ready to eat!











DAY #1:
It's my first day of doing the Whole30 and I'm feeling good, but really lacking energy.  Temptation wasn't too bad- I easily passed on some cookies that were sitting in the teachers' lounge.  I really craved sweets after lunch, but distracted myself with work instead.  I also found that putting a slice of lemon in my water tastes great and makes me drink a lot more water throughout the day.

I found out I don't care for cooked spinach because the Spinach Frittata I made last night did not taste appetizing this morning. (A few weeks later I tried a frittata recipe similar to this one with just sausage, eggs, green pepper, and mushrooms and loved it!)  My salad for lunch consisted of chopped romaine with chicken breast strips, a hard-boiled egg, and homemade vinaigrette dressing.
Note: After trying many different dressing combinations, I found my favorites were the Herb Citrus Vinaigrette and Homemade Ranch.

Supper was stuffed peppers.  My whole family loved the meat mixture, but the kids didn't eat the actual pepper.  I ended up chopping up their uneaten peppers and adding them to my scrambled eggs the next day.  The sweet cravings were so unbearable after supper, I ended up eating a small container of unsweetened applesauce.  I understood I wasn't going to break bad habits by substituting, but I had to start somewhere!

I have just the slightest headache, but not too bad.  My "hunger" is really just my sweet tooth craving something to satisfy me.  This is the hold that my sugar dragon has on me...

DAY #2:
Scrambled eggs with peppers and sausage patties made a fulfilling, delicious breakfast this morning.  {You'll see later that this ended up being almost a staple for me, and I actually didn't get too bored with it}.  Lunch was a spring mix/spinach greens with strawberries and chopped chicken breast.  Supper was one of my favorites:  Roasted Chicken, Roasted Vegetables (cut up squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc. drizzled with olive oil and kosher or sea salt and baked at 400 degrees for almost an hour or until tender), and a salad of mixed greens.  My seven-year-old daughter said, "Mom, this eating healthy is yummy!" and I couldn't agree more.

Surprisingly, I felt good today.  I was a tiny bit irritable at times, but that's not unusual. :)  I ended the day with a cup of chamomile tea, which helped with the sweet cravings after supper.  I knew that giving in to something like applesauce was going to be bad news for me.  I think I could get used to having a cup of tea at night instead of dessert.  Did I just say that??

At work today I couldn't stop thinking about sweets, and I had a hand full of almonds mid-afternoon, not because I was hungry but just because I couldn't stop thinking about food!  Hopefully by the end I can retrain my brain and tame that sugar dragon!

DAY #3:
Still feeling good today! In fact, I keep thinking I'm going to wake up feeling miserable so every day that I don't is a blessing!  Supper was Porkchops and Applesauce- yum!  (Is it just me, or do you think about Brady Bunch every time you hear that combination?)


DAY #4:
I made it past my biggest temptation yet!  I went out for supper with a group of friends and watched them enjoy bacon cheeseburgers, fries, and beer.  This wasn't exactly a "fancy restaurant" (in fact, it was a small-town bar) so I went with sirloin steak and a plain baked potato.  It came with a salad, but they had no olive oil or any compliant dressing so I had to eat it plain- gross! I brought along my one LaCroix sparkling water (highly recommend these- in fact, I may never drink a soda again!) and treated myself to a Larabar.  I really enjoyed the sweet taste, and realized these could be dangerous for me.  Note to self: limit these to special occasions only.

DAY #5:
My husband and I are both very irritable.  (He has not read any of the books but is doing the Whole30 with me as my "support".  Spoiler alert: hubby quits on day 7).  We both have colds coming on, so that's not helping our moods.  We had sweet potato and chicken hash for supper and loved it!  I'll have leftovers with eggs for breakfast!  

DAY #6:
I woke up with a headache this morning.  I made fresh mushroom and sausage omelets and didn't even miss the cheese I would normally put in!  Today we were out of town for lunch so I had to find a compliant option at a restaurant. I came up with HuHot- a perfect decision!  If you've never eaten there, it's a place where you fill a plate with meat, seafood, and vegetables, then add your sauce and they cook it in front of you.  I chose lots of beef, chicken, some crab, a ton of veggies (broccoli, red potatoes, some sugar snap peas) and then added just a bit of sesame oil for my sauce.  I didn't feel like I was missing out on what everyone around me was having (we just passed on the white rice they normally bring to your table).    I think the hardest part of doing the Whole30 is finding dine-out options. I have a whole new appreciation for anyone who has food allergies.

DAY #7:
Today I sat through my first bible class without sweets.  We normally have some kind of sweet treat or carb option on Sunday mornings, along with coffee.  I stuck with just coffee and had to explain my new "diet" to my extended family.  My daughter came out from Sunday School with ice cream and lots of delicious toppings, and I really wanted something sweet!  Today I mostly crave peanut butter, cheese, and of course, chocolate!  I want monster cookies like you wouldn't believe.  I started reading It Starts With Food and this has helped me learn more about what makes us crave these foods and what foods are most nutritious.

Breakfast consisted of leftovers with eggs and lunch was Sweet Potato Soup and sauteed kale with sunflower seeds.  For supper we had Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Sauce and Hamburger.  For being a huge pasta lover, I didn't even miss the real noodles!

My husband quit the Whole30 today (ok, he prefers I don't use the word "quit" so I'm going to say "failed" but really he's already learned a lot that he plans to continue so I wouldn't say that's a failure).  I was 100% devoted to my decision to complete the Whole30 and really took my time preparing and listing goals for myself.  He did not read the books and I think this was part of the reason he did not succeed this time around.  Note: he does continue to eat compliant lunches and suppers with me, but might have a snack or bowl of cereal for breakfast from here on out.  I'm still proud of him for making it 7 days and as of today (about two months after beginning the Whole30), he has yet to have a Mountain Dew.  He used to have one daily, and that is a win in and of itself!  FACT: The Whole30 authors say that it's 34% harder for soda drinkers to complete the Whole30.

Looking forward to my next post for Week #2!

God's Blessings,
A Good Food Fanatic

Preparing For Your First Whole30

My previous post explained the Whole30 program and why a "skinny" girl would choose to go on a diet.  If you haven't read about my decision yet, click here and come back when finished! This post will walk you through the steps I took to prepare for my first Whole30.  If you're going to develop new habits, you really have to plan ahead.  I found this helped remove unwanted stress, and helped me to stay committed to the decision I had made.  Hopefully you find some helpful hints as well!

Give Yourself Time

If you've just learned about the Whole30 program, please take my advice and don't dive head-first in and start that same day. Or even the next day.  You owe it to yourself to become educated on why you're making such a drastic lifestyle change, and you are much more likely to stay compliant if you do your research ahead of time and carefully plan out at least the first few days/weeks.  

I learned about the program in late December, but didn't start until the beginning of February.  This gave me time to read the books, prepare my body/mind, clean out the pantry, and check my calendar for a 30-day time slot with the least interruptions.  In fact, this may be the hardest part- finding thirty consecutive days to commit to healthy eating with no cheats, slips or special occasions.  It's highly unlikely you will find an entire month where you don't have at least one birthday party, work event, or weekend getaway planned.  So just do your best to find one that you know you can work with.

As I previously mentioned, reading the Whole30 Book, in my opinion, is vital to your success.  You're going to be faced with temptations, and this book helps you think through how you will deal with these when they happen.  Unless you're a hermit, you will also want to think through how you will handle questions and comments from co-workers, friends, and family when you start changing some of your food habits.  It's unrealistic, at least it was for me, to think that you will be able to go thirty days without anyone noticing the changes you've made.  But I welcomed respectful conversations about what I was doing.  I saw this as an opportunity to educate others (without judgement of course), and I also figured the more people that I had confided in, the more people that would know if I decided to cheat.  I wasn't going to let 10 close friends and family think I was a failure!

The Final Countdown

In addition to reading the book, here's my to-do list leading up to Day 1.  I'll label the day before I started the program Day 0, and each day before that -1, -2, etc.  You obviously don't have to do these in the same order as I did; in fact, you may not even choose to do all of these.  But by reading through my list, it may spark something you hadn't previously thought of.

At least a week before: Mark your calendar for Day #1.  Start prepping your family/friends/co-workers, or whoever you think you need support from.  If you are taking any medications, you will want to talk with a doctor about beginning the Whole30 and how your diet may affect your health condition.

Day -7: If you haven't finished reading the Whole30 book, do so in the next couple of days.  You'll want that information when you start trying to remember why you did this to yourself.

Day -6: Look through your refrigerator and pantry to see what (non-compliant) foods you may want eat up over the next few days.  For me, this included yogurt, my favorite dark chocolate I had stashed in my drawer, and some wine/beer that I didn't want tempting me. Because, let's be honest, sometimes wine just screams "Drink a glass of me!" after a long day at work. :)

Day -5: Spend some time looking through the Whole30 forum and educating yourself on what to expect.  Start looking through recipes to find what you will want the first few days.  The book has a meal template for the first week and step-by-step instructions for preparing the first week of meals.  If you're not comfortable in the kitchen, this is a perfect starting point.  Eventually, you'll get the hang of this "cooking stuff" and you might even enjoy it!  I also plan on posting about my experiences as well, so feel free to look through these for more ideas on what you have to look forward to!

Day -4: Check local grocery store ads to see what deals might save you some money as you stock your fridge/pantry in preparation for your first Whole30.  The first time you spend money on some "whole30 staples", you might be surprised at your bill.  I happened to have a 10% off my entire grocery bill coupon I had been saving up so I was able to save about $20 on my groceries.  Meat is probably the most expensive, so any chance you have to buy in bulk (this might mean SAMs or Costco, or if you're lucky like we are, my husband's uncle raises cattle so we buy a quarter or half cow at once and always have beef in our freezer).

Day -3: Make your final grocery list.  This might include spices, seasonings, pantry items, etc. that you know you will use over the next thirty days and beyond, along with some fresh foods (meats, dairy, fruits, vegetables) that you will use over the first week or two.  You really don't want to buy too far ahead of time for those fresh foods, or you'll end up wasting money on expensive food that spoils before you use it.  I planned only a week out for the first two weeks (hitting up the grocery store on Saturdays and cooking on Sundays), and then eventually was able to just buy a few salads, fruits, and vegetables once I got the hang of cooking whole30 dishes.  Looking through this resource might help you decide what you will add to your grocery list. 

Day -2:  Clear your pantry/freezer/fridge of anything that might tempt you to stray from your commitment.  For me, this process included bagging up all of my bags of chocolate chips, frosting, and cake mixes and storing them at my parents' house, 15 miles away.  The fact that I could fill an entire bag with all the junk laying around my house is a good indication of my "sweet tooth" problem.  There were also some foods that I knew weren't compliant, but I wanted to keep around for my kids so I put them in our storage space in the basement so they weren't staring me in the face, yet were readily available for quick meals like Macaroni & Cheese.  I know the Whole30 is supposed to be just as great for kids, but I wasn't about to change their habits on top of my own, especially since they eat school lunches. My kids and husband did eat the same supper as me most nights, since I was only cooking one meal and most were delicious! I never thought I would say this, but pouring that "fake cheese" into that pot about two weeks into my Whole30 made me really rethink my kids' food choices as well.

Day -1: Do your grocery shopping and start  prepping anything you can make ahead of time.  This might include making your own homemade sauces & salad dressing (I would recommend the basic mayo recipe and homemade ranch, homemade ketchup, and any of the vinaigrette recipes from the book if you plan on having salads for lunch like I did most days).  If you did not purchase ghee or clarified butter from the grocery store, you will want to make your own.  If you don't mind spending some extra time in the kitchen you may want to consider making some freezer meals.  The extra time saved during the week is well worth the time spent preparing on the weekends.  We also ventured out and ground our own pork sausage because the thought of just eggs each morning made me unhappy.  I was able to add my own spices and make up patties that were ready for breakfast each morning.  After a few weeks of this, I got smart and started cooking the patties ahead of time and just warming them in a pan or microwave the next morning to cut down my time spent making breakfast before work!

Day 0 (tomorrow is the big day!): Take measurements of your waist, hip, and thighs.  Take pictures, including front, profile, and back.  After weighing yourself, add the number to your measurements list and then pack away that scale! You can also use this time to look through your meal plan for the week and mark down any preparations you want to make ahead of time.  For example, if I am planning on having something with ground beef on Wednesday, I will want to add "Thaw one pound hamburger in fridge" on my Tuesday agenda.  I found that there were some sauces and other items I could make after supper to prepare for the next day's meal.  You can also sign up for the free Whole30 newsletter!

Now, sit back and relax.  The next thirty days is going to fly by!

God's Blessings,
A Good Food Fanatic

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