Ok Guys – I made it. I Survived.
I can’t lie though – it was barely a crisis situation. It really wasn’t that hard! I used Pinterest to gather recipes and make my shopping list. I practiced intermittent fasting, so I only ate 2 times per day, about 7-8 hours between meals. That helped me steer clear of temptation. I even ate out a few times and did awesome. I’m patting myself on the back for wholeheartedly sticking to my commitment to the month.
Those first few days were tough, fighting those sugar cravings. I learned quickly that I crave the act of eating far more than food itself. You know when you don’t know what you want to eat but you feel like eating? Yup. Its that, and its worse when you are fully conscious of abstaining. My office time is during my son’s nap time, so from approximately 3-6pm, my cravings are in FULL FORCE. That first week was positively brutal. I had to distract myself or I’d be sitting on top of my fridge hiding out with oreos and a bag of shredded cheese.
By the end of the first week, I learned where I was weakest, and was prepared. I drank extra water. I had a mental pep talk ready to go – “you don’t need food, you’re bored.” If I was really desperate, I’d start some dinner prep, or start planning what I wanted to have. No, I am not that uber organized Pinterest mom. I am mentally incapable of food prepping. Mostly because I’m about as indecisive as they come! I could make 5 meals for the week and be annoyed I have to force myself to eat them.
Whole 30 has a few main components. Here’s what you need to know: for 30 days, you’re eliminating craving-inducing foods from your life – Sugar, Dairy and Grains. That means no wine or beer, but you can definitely have coffee! I found it to be more of a fun challenge to push myself this month than a tedious chore to deprive myself.
There is sugar in darn near EVERYTHING. Reading labels is your new favorite pastime. But, it is avoidable. I never realized how much I was ending up consuming every day! Same with dairy – cheese is akin to salt in my house. I was shocked by how often I went to reach for some. This is not a carb-concious plan, necessarily, so if you cannot fathom Keto (I already know that style of eating does not work for my body) this is a fabulous alternative.
Here’s the beauty of this plan though:
- my overall cravings for anything (aside from chocolate, a girl needs chocolate) are down to insignificant if at all
- I don’t feel the need to even add these things back into my diet
- My skin is clear for the first time – you read that right – FIRST time in just shy of 20 years
- I lost 16lb!
- I was willingly eating healthy stuff – double the vegetables, smaller portions
- My nails are super strong, my hair is cooperating
So, needless to say, through all of this, I’ll be doing my best to stick to this plan for good. I’ll be trialing the three areas almost like an allergy protocol to see which effects me the worst and what I can have in moderation.
If eliminating Sugar, Dairy, and Grains fits in your health plan (I can’t imagine there’s any ailment that requires any of these areas!), I strongly encourage this plan. Give it the 30 days, really commit, go all in. You will learn so much about yourself and your health! I highly recommend it for anyone who’s been struggling to lose weight and get healthy.
Here’s my Whole 30 Pinterest Board
Best Wishes and Delicious Dishes!
-Jess
