Woohoo! We did it! 30 days of no legumes, no grains, no sugar, no dairy, no sulfites, MSG, carrageenan. 30 days of sweet potatoes, kale, broccoli, chicken, tuna, almond butter, and a whole lotta homemade mayo. 30 days of REAL food. Congraulations, friend. You did it!
I’ve spent much of the day reflecting on how far I’ve come this month. Going into this round, I wanted to rely less on larabars/rx bars and try to eat more vegetables. I wanted to reduce my fruit intake after a holiday season filled with treats. I wanted to eat three large meals a day and avoid the urge to snack, especially late at night. I wanted to eat fewer nuts & nut butters because I’ve learned that I have a hard time stopping with nuts. Someone tell me how to stop eating macademia nuts. Do they have to run out, or…? But more than anything, I wanted to listen to my body and only do that which served me. Now, that’s a pretty lengthy wish list for 30 days, but I’m happy to say, I killed it.
Wins:
- I ate probably 3 bars all month long and only in on-the-go situations.
- I kept my fruit intake low, but not elimated entirely because blood oranges are in season and I’ve come around to the idea that fruit isn’t the enemy. Also, apples. I mean, come on. They’re the best.
- I’ve mostly kept to three large meals a day, but I do often have a small snack before the gym.
- I’ve definitely stopped eating late at night, thanks to my heated blanket. Once I’m in bed, I’m not getting out for anything.
- I’ve stopped buying nuts. And the nuts I do have are kept on the top shelf. Out of sight, out of mind.
- I’ve slept better this month than I ever have in my entire life. Most of the credit goes to the diet, but again with that heated blanket. It’s the best thing in the world.
- I’ve focused less on sticking to any particular lifting schedule and more on yoga and stretching.
- I stopped craving toxic food, toxic people, and toxic activities.
Learnings:
- Wellness is all that matters. It’s the foundation for everything else in life. So take of yourself. Take more baths. Do more yoga. Drink some weird hippie tea. It’ll be worth it.
- Worry less about food. I know this sounds contradictory to everything Whole30 is saying and I’m not saying you should down 6 donuts tomorrow. Hear me out. Making good food choices is vital to our health. And when you have a base of good food choices (like what the Whole30 lays out), it’s easy to not think so much about food. For me anyways, I used to always stress about portion size and think about how much fat is in my salad dressing and worry about eating too many carbs. But this “diet” mentality is toxic and destructive. It was that mindset that led me to ignore everything my body was telling me. It was that mindset that led me to spoonful after spoonful of peanut butter after a stressful day. And waking up the next morning bloated and beating myself up over how much I ate the night before. It was that mindset that led me to seek a strong and lean body, without realizing I already had one, one that currently hated me. All I’m saying is don’t worry about how much you’re eating. I’ve eaten larger meals this month that I ever have in my life, and guess what. I’m just fine. Worry more about the quality of what you’re eating and your body will tell you when you’ve had enough.
- Rant less. Still working on that – see above.
- Trying new foods is fun! I’m definitely a creature of habit. I could have the same three meals for the rest of time and probably be happy. But to ensure you don’t go off track during your Whole30, it’s important to incorporate some new and interesting foods. Some new staples in my diet are fried plantains, poached eggs, homemade mayo, and buffalo chicken anything.
- Walks are nice. Especially during the first couple weeks of Whole30. Your energy is likely to be lower, but getting outside for just 30 minutes can do incredible good for the soul.
I’ll keep posting as I reintroduce different foods over the next 15 days. And of course, I have some recipes coming your way too! I’m incredibly grateful for this journey and for everyone who joined me along the way. Whether that be online or in real life, thank you.
Meal 1: fried plantains, green beans, two scrambled eggs with salsa on top
Snack: carrots and some crock pot chicken
Meal 2: kale salad with garlic herb chicken breast, mushrooms, red onion, cinnamon roasted tahitian squash, and half an avocado
Meal 3: jalepeño cilantro turkey burger with sautéed onions, mayo, and salsa between two portabella mushrooms. Roasted broccoli and cauliflower on da side.