Whole 30 Review

Yesterday Justin and I finished our first Whole 30! I can't tell you how nice it feels to be done. It is this unexplainable freedom that I feel now. I know that is weird because no one was making us do it but that's how I feel. I first wrote about us doing it here. We started July 27th and ended August 25th. I think the biggest miracle for me was that I did not consume any tortilla chips, ice cream or beer for 30 days (along with a ton of other things). We learned a lot more about what is in foods. Some of my non-scale victories include: clothes fitting better, new recipes, better habits, flatter stomach, leaner appearance, more defined muscle tone, more confident in my appearance, healthier relationship with food, fewer cravings and learning to not blow all my hard work on the weekends. I must be clear though: my cravings for sugar did not go away. I don't know if they ever will. Maybe I needed to do a Whole 45, 60, or 90? While I do still crave sugar, I have definitely learned that I have the will power to abstain from it. I previously never thought I would be able to give up dairy and sugar for that long. When I nursed Everly I almost had to give up dairy for a bit and I couldn't comprehend that. Even when I gave up ice cream previously for lent, I still had it occasionally on Sundays. So it is definitely a nice boost in my ego to know that I am capable of finishing something that a lot of people find difficult. As I said before, I don't have any sensitivities to food and because of that I am not strictly following the recommended reintroduction program. I am not going all out today or tomorrow or anything but I chose to end the program this way. This morning I had a whey protein shake after my workout and I feel fine. It is so convenient to be able to do that again!

Now to the good stuff! Justin lost about 17 lbs and I lost almost 11. For both of us, that is a lot of weight. I can see the most progress in Justin's profile and in how much more my waist and hips are
defined from the back. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone wanting to make some changes to their food habits, especially if you have sensitivities to food.

obviously, he wasn't a big guy before which makes 17 pounds even more amazing

glad to be done! 

Here are my biggest tips if you are wanting to do the program:

 

1. There will never be a perfect time to start, but do yourself a favor and try not to schedule it during really, really important food/drink related events/holidays. 

 

2. Find what you like and stick with that. While it is nice to try new things, don't plan a week of 5 completely new recipes. Keep some safe items in there that you know you will be happy with. For us that was shredded buffalo chicken, anything with bacon, lemon rosemary chicken, and hot dogs.

 

3. Go to Costco. We loved Costco for mini guacamole packs, butter lettuce, chicken, ground turkey, fruit (sometimes), almond and nutzo butter eggs, and oils.  

 

4. Plan to make extra dinner to have for lunch leftovers. So much easier this way!

 

5. Follow Whole 30 instagram and pinterest accounts for inspiration and ideas.

Here are some things we ate:

 

Eggs every day, even in the car. This turkey from the deli at Target is compliant and great for quick lunches.

 

I love almond butter but also really like this nut and seed butter from Costco and those guac packs made boring chicken more interesting.

 

Whole 30 salad bar (on sale day) is awesome. Bring your own avocado and the lemon herb dressing is compliant and delicious. Leftover buffalo chicken turned into a salad with homemade paleo ranch on the go. I inhaled that lunch.

hot sauce is my bestie

We also appreciate better coffee when we have to drink it black!