Whole30 Wrap Up

Disclosure - I've been writing this entry as I've been going along. Some of my views may have changed a little so if it is disjointed, I apologize in advance.

I've outlined this as a little FAQ. Some of these are questions we've been asked. Some are questions I imagine you want to ask. Some are just answers because I like talking at my readers and if you're reading this, I'm guessing you're ok with that.

I'm so proud of this transformation so here it is again!

What Did You Miss the Most?

Easy - chocolate, cheese, and wine. Between those three, they varied a lot. At first, it was cheese. I'd gotten to the point where I was using it as a crutch and putting it in almost all of my food. I love cheese, but I see now how ridiculous it was. However, to compensate, I've been smothering everything in hot sauce so I'm not sure I learned much.

Wine and chocolate were really sorely missed when I was having difficult days. Those were the ones where I needed both but there were always instances where one seemed more preferable to the other. The day when I had the really bad cramps, I would have loved some chocolate. I always think about how in Harry Potter they use chocolate to help heal. Part of my believes that's real and I needed that chocolate healing power some of my 30 days.

At first, I didn't miss the wine much at all. It was more... something to do? I was worried about temptation to drink going out but staying in made me realize how much I just enjoy having a glass while I'm reading or watching TV. Later in the Whole30, I was really stressed and wanted some wine just to wind down. There were also some days where I would just think about the wine that would be perfect for that moment - maybe because it paired with my dish or the day was particularly nice and I wanted a refreshing glass of rose.

However, not being able to have those 3 things did accomplish something for me - it gave me more freedom over my actions. If I have wine and am tipsy, I can't work out.. same thing if cheese makes me feel less than optimal. It was nice to not have anything keeping me from an evening workout or doing what I needed to do. Obviously, chocolate is perfect and has no ill side effects so it doesn't really apply here.

What did you enjoy the most?

Buying new clothes now that I'm skinnier!! Just kidding...

If you've been reading this blog for a long time, I bet you know the answer. I loved finding new things to cook that were totally Whole30 compliant and super delicious. I have so many cook books that I largely ignore and instead I dove head first into them. I got to make so many awesome dishes and I have so many more untouched recipes. I think we could do a Whole365 and still only have to repeat things just because we like the taste and not out of lack of ideas.

We definitely were not bored with our meals

What Was the Hardest Part?

The hardest part of my Whole30 had nothing to do with Whole30. In the course of my 30 days my Aunt that I was very close with passed away, my work was very hectic, and I was training for a half marathon. Any of these situations on their own would have been hard to deal with and I had them all piled against me at once. These are all also situations that people tend to use as excuses to binge. I couldn't binge on Whole30 .

And that was a very good thing.

I think it's easy to latch onto our hardships as excuses and instead I had to find other ways to cope. While the running and half marathon training started out as a struggle, it ended up being a very useful form of stress relief. I also had my determination to finish and enjoy Whole30 to latch onto. I found a better way to work through my difficulties and have learned that instead of eating my feelings or drinking my stress, I can pour myself into a project or challenge and get a much better result.

I also think some of the rules are little too strict. I know a couple of things I used had little residual amounts of sugar (as a preservative), While the rest of the ingredients were clean or organic, this would still be non-compliant. I didn't stress over these things though so I guess I technically didn't have a perfect Whole30. I also think going strict on the "no treats even if the ingredients are all ok" is too much as well. Using paleo treats or alternatives are a great way to make healthier choices while still having fun with food.

Food is also a very social thing. However, eating out provides a lot of food and drink temptations. I found it easier to stay in than tease myself. While this helped me find lots of drink-free activities, it also made it harder to hang out with my friends because I didn't want to force this on them. I'm much happier now that I can find a balance of fun nights out and staying in to cook healthy meals.

Should I Try Whole30?

Early in my Whole30, I wrote out a whole long answer to this that basically said you shouldn't unless you have a lot of health problems, want to lose a lot of weight, or aren't drinking anyways because you're pregnant or don't drink or whatever. I deleted that whole thing because now that I've finished, I don't think that's the case.

So let's start over - before I can tell you if you should try Whole30, you need to ask yourself what you want to gain from this. Maybe you just saw my blog and haven't thought about it too much, or maybe you want a change for some reason. Limiting your diet for 30 days isn't easy. I think you need to really need to have at least one good reason that you can cling to when it starts getting tough. That will get you through the first 15 days. After that, your desire to not want to throw away the fact that you made it that far, will probably take you the rest of the way - but back to that one good reason. For me, it was wanting to do the most for my body to feel as good as possible going into my first half marathon. I also wanted my clothes to fit better but I'm not sure that would have been enough on its own.

If you need help thinking of good reasons - here are some:

• Lose weight - I know I just said that wasn't a great reason... but that was for me. I wasn't big to begin with though and my weight struggles were more with the increasing difficulty of staying the same size as we age. I wasn't overweight by any means. However, some people have much more difficult weight struggles. If your weight is impacting your health and you've tried everything and it's not working - try this. 
• Have more energy - Do you feel lethargic all the time? Are you not able to enjoy things because you're tired and mopey? Try this. Whole30 eating is a great way to give your body the type of fuel it really needs to function well. Be warned though - the first week, you'll be the type that are hit extra hard by the lethargy bus as your body adapts. 
• Battle long term health issues - I can't speak to this one personally, but the Whole30 book has a ton of stories from people with all ranges of health issues and inflammations that saw them decline or disappear over their 30 days. 
• Break bad food or drink habits - I didn't realize how far off the bus I'd fallen on this one until I was depriving myself of treats or drinks. Now that I'm post Whole30, I'm learning responsible ways to indulge. I want to drink less because I don't like feeling cloudy or not in control of myself. Treats feel more like much deserved rewards for my athletic endevours - rewards that I have to earn and rewards that I try to limit to one a day. I'm picking up better habits that let me enjoy fun food and treats without letting them take control of my life.
• Sleep better - I definitely have minor insomnia. While this didn't completely go away, I found that I slept through the whole night better. This led to me naturally waking up well before my alarm feeling rested and that means longer days where I can do more with my life. Paired with more energy - I feel pretty unstoppable some days.
• Combat/ identify food allergies - A lot of people have more food allergies than they're aware of and these could be affecting the way you feel from the energy and sleep mentioned above to just having stomach aches or cramps. I've had a few friends who didn't realize for a long time that they had gluten sensitivities and it's been a big life changer to find that out. 
• Prepare for an athletic event - This was my main reason and it was a great driver. I was having trouble waking up for my runs and was feeling really burnt out. Making a big dietary adjustment like this helped get me really into my half marathon training and I'm actually excited to do more of them. I feel like I'm just unlocking my body's potential.. at 29... I wish so much that I'd discovered this earlier when my body would have had even more ability.
• Teach kids healthy eating habits - Some people tell me they can't do this because they have children... wouldn't you rather have your kids growing up eating veggies and healthy snacks than junk food? Nomnompaleo.com is a really good resource for this. She has two kids and talks a lot about snacks and what things they love and teaching her children good habits from the get go. Remember how I said I wish I could have unlocked my body's potential at a younger age? Don't you want to give that gift to your kids? The Whole30 guidelines also say that children or those pregnant or breast feeding can and should eat lots of snacks and feed their growing bodies. 

So - if any of these scenarios might apply to you, give it a shot. It's 30 days. In the grand scheme of things, that's not very long. You can do anything for 30 days. If you hate it after that and feel terrible, that's it, you're done. But I really doubt it will come to that. 

Also - you can share this awesome picture if you make it all 30 days. I know you are all going to start your Whole30 RIGHT NOW just for that.

Any Tips for Getting Started or Having Success?

Definitely!!! Here are some bullet points:

• Buy the book - For a paleo beginner, the recipes will be very helpful. I've been cooking mostly paleo for years so there was nothing dazzling in it for me but it really holds your hand through each day. The first 15 days or so are very difficult and the book gives a nice guide for getting through them as well as what you have to look forward too. There are also a lot of recipes for basic sauces and condiments you can make at home so you're not missing out on mayo or ketchup or BBQ sauce.
• Clean out the pantry/fridge - In general, I try not to keep anything "bad" in the house. I never buy bread, highly processed foods, etc. However, I had a lot of gluten free or paleoish snacks lying around. To deal, I put them all in a paper bag and hid them in the closet. When I first went paleo, I donated a lot of "bad" food to the food bank too. 
• Get Inspired - Like I said, the book doesn't have the most dazzling recipes ever... but they are out there. Look up famous paleo bloggers to get good recipes. Paleomg, Nom Nom Paleo, Balanced Bites, and Primal Palate are just a few great resources with lots of new recipes showing up all the time. They all have at least one cook book as well if you want to invest a little money in it. Feel free to ask me what my personal favorites are! 
• Make shopping lists and plan ahead - Recipe planning and lists will save you! I like to bookmark / flag/ pin exciting recipes. When I'm planning a shopping trip, I'll look through them and see what jumps out at me and make lists. Don't forget to include some basics and staples though that you'll use all the time like eggs, fruits, hot sauce, prosciutto, and avocados... at lest those are my staples... those might vary depending on your tastes
• Invest in your kitchen - The best way to do this is really to cook. Eating out for every meal will not get you the results you want because even if you check every box and modify your order, there's a good chance some non compliant ingredients lurking. However, cooking can be hard and this is where kitchen tools come in handy. You obviously don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on this but if you want to make this a lifestyle change, it's helpful to pick up a new tool every few weeks. Here are my favorites:
• One really good knife - of course more are better but one very good knife that you can use for anything will save you a lot of frustration
• A food processor - this is the most pricey item, but is a big time saver and will allow you to make sauces, soups, salsas, purees, or just chop things quicker. I have one that has attachments for a blender, processor, and smoothie cups which is awesome.
• A spiralizer - this is the most fun item on the list. If you were every wondering how to make zoodles, this is it! 
• A Crock Pot - for all those times you think "I don't have time to cook." I used my Crock Pot several times during Whole30 and I'm excited to keep unlocking it's potential. It's so awesome to pop a few ingredients in, turn it on, and then go to sleep or work and have dinner cooking in the background

Will You Continue Whole30 or Do Another One?

So after all of that, I'm sure you know what my answer is.... yes! I don't know if I would commit to another pure Whole30 short of being pregnant or completely losing all self control. I might consider hoping on the January ones every year as a post-holiday detox, but other than that, doing a full 30 day Whole30 might not be necessary.

However, I think Dan and I both really liked the effects and want to strive to a mostly Whole30 lifestyle. I'm obviously going to start having wine and cheese and chocolate again but maybe in moderation now. I think we don't have to eat out and have cheat meals as much. I want to use treats as an award for my hard work. For example, I still have leftover birthday cake in the freezer. I had a bad day last week and almost ate it... and then stopped myself. I wanted to earn it so I'm saving it for after one of my long runs.

I also really like Melissa Hartwig's "One Bite Rule." The rule is that if you decide you can or want to have a cheat meal in your clean post-Whole30 life, there's nothing wrong with that. However, if you take a bite of your treat and realize it isn't everything you hoped and dreamed it would be, you're not obligated to finish it. We trick ourselves into thinking we have to and we feed our cravings by doing that.

Are You Driving the Food-Train or Does Dan Have Some Input? How Does He Feel About This?

We have a pretty easy time balancing our relationship and food. I buy and make most of the food we eat and Dan mostly goes along with it. He lets me know what he likes and doesn't like and I take that into account when I'm figuring out meals. Sometimes he'll say "We haven't had x in a while." or "We should grill soon." or something and I'll work on that too. I'd like to think about it as a very balanced, adult relationship. He's pretty open to trying new things that I make and I try to be sensitive to not making it too spicy or citrusy or whatever he doesn't like (especially since it's pretty easy to add that stuff to just my own plate).

What really surprised me though, was how much he ended up loving all of this. He wasn't as strict as me, of course. He had a couple of burgers and his birthday cake and a beer here and there. However, he mostly followed Whole30 - probably to a slightly stricter plan than what I would hope to continue on when we are done... and he has felt amazing. Dan's visible weight loss has also been obvious. He has a killer metabolism and works out a lot and he's a large person so weight changes really show up for him. I thought he would be unhappy with that but he told me he was having a much easier time at the gym. His pull-ups were much easier and he wasn't feeling and knee pain when running (which is something he had been struggling with a for a while). That all came at a time when I was struggling with Whole30 (as a consequence of struggling with other things). Hearing his non-scale victories was a great motivator.

If you can, do this with a partner. I know that I'm really lucky to 1) have an amazing partner to begin with and 2) have one that didn't bat an eye when I said I was going to do this. Ok... maybe he asked if our food was going to suck and then gave me a big hug when I said I wouldn't be drinking for a month. Anyways, the point is, if you can get your family on board (even just 90% on board), you'll have a much easier time doing this and sticking with it.

What is Your Plan for Moving Forward?

The most fun I had with this challenge was dusting off my cook books and making things that I've been meaning to try since I bought them... and I barely scratched the surface. For someone that enjoys cooking, having a huge stockpile of recipes is a Godsend. We were not bored with our food once I really got going on trying new things. We didn't even really have to repeat anything. If I did, it was more out of convenience or love of a dish than boredom or lack of options.

In general, I'd say our day to day will look more like strict paleo/primal. I'd like to stick with being mostly dairy free and only have cheese on occasion, maybe a couple of times a week for the dishes that really aren't the same without it. I think a glass of wine a night is fine and maybe a little more on the weekends. I still have a lot of training I want to do though which I think will keep me from hitting the sauce too hard. I also am ok with paleo baking going forward. For me, that was the silliest of the the Whole30 rules. I definiely understand that paleo waffles still aren't the healthiest food but I think allowing those treats every now and then and doing them in a way that is controlled and less bad is better than buying some over processed crap.

I just really want to continue on this path. I want to plan out more of my meals and use new recipes. I want to drink a little less wine than I was before. I want to save cheese and chocolate for special occasions. I want cheat meals to be a rare treat, not a regular occurrence. Mostly - I want to keep feeling good. I want my clothes to keep fitting well. I want my skin to keep glowing. I want to have control over my food and my health. But also - I want to be able to treat myself when I've earned it and enjoy social settings where there is food and alcohol. I feel like I'm in such an awesome place to make the best decisions for my health and my body... and my future.

Happy and Healthy