Today is Day 30!
When we first decided to do this program, I had no idea how life changing it would be. Sure, the whole point of the program is to make changes to your life and your health, but I never imagined it would be like this. Here are some of the main issues I had to face during the past 30 days.
1. I had a HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE sweet tooth. Probably borderline sugar addiction. The amount of sugar I was consuming was unreal. Sure, my meals were healthy and "clean" but what's the point if I am just going to wreck my body with sugar. It occurred to me that it had become a habit for me to just grab a sweet treat and eat it because it was there. We were at a church luncheon and as I walked by the dessert table, out of habit, I started to reach for a cookie. Of course I realized what I was doing and stopped myself, but that was a real wake up call.
2. I enabled my husband's bad habits. If there is food-extra food, junk food, etc.- I would always ask him if he wanted to eat it. Or I'd bring the junk home for him!! I had to apologize to him because I realized I wasn't supporting or encouraging healthy choices. I'm so glad that we did this together because it really opened our eyes to not only our own bad habits, but how we fed into each other's habits as well. That ends now.
3. I was exhausted. Physically and mentally. I looked tired, my hair and skin were dull, and I had no energy at the end of the day. As a new mom, that doesn't work for me. I need the energy to keep up with the baby and to take care of myself so that I can be the best version of myself for my family.
I had more things to conquer than I realized. The program is intended to change the way we think about food, our habits/cravings, and the emotional relationships we have with food and our bodies.
And let me tell you.... It has succeeded.
Here is what I got out of it:
-Self Control. There's nothing like battling the sugar dragon while being surrounded by desserts. But I did it. I learned that I'm stronger than I thought and that I can say no to foods that will not nourish me. I learned that there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying no and that I can be satisfied with that choice.
- Breaking the chains of emotional eating. My grandmother passed away while we were completing Whole30. I was able to find other, healthier ways to cope that did not involve food.
-A desire to eat clean, healthy, nourishing foods.
-NO desire to eat junk.
-I don't feel bloated, my skin is clear, and my hair is healthy.
-ENERGY! Without coffee!
-I feel rested. I am sleeping better, which also helps with keeping my energy levels up.
-A regulated metabolism.
-To me this is the least important, but I lost 12lbs and dropped one pants size.
So what now? Well, as I mentioned earlier, my husband feels like he didn't get the results he expected because of how poorly he ate beforehand...so we are extending it by 15 days. Whole45? Whole yes! We will also be working on our reintroduction plan. There are a few foods we eliminated that will not be making their way back into our diets and we also have to see how our bodies react to different foods as they are reintroduced.
I highly recommend checking Whole30 out. Or at least reading the book It Starts With Food. I promise your life will be changed!
