So, some of you may have heard of this program called, The Whole30.
Well, I am here to tell you about my personal experience my first time through this program and take you through the journey of my second round of the Whole30! First, I want to give you a little overview of what the program is all about. The Whole30 Program was founded by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig. It is designed to change your life in 30 days. Wow..that is intense! So this program is like a reset button for your body. It gets rid of those sugar cravings and bad eating habits and replaces them with healthy eating habits that are manageable for any lifestyle. This program is about eating good, healthy, delicious food that makes you feel good!
The first time I completed this program.
I felt so happy, had so much energy and was just in an all around good mood for no reason. There was a realization that what I put in my body really affected my mood. No one had really made me think about that before. Getting headaches every day at 3:00 PM during work was getting old. Yes, I work with five year old kids all day but, this was different. I would come home, and have no energy to workout and barely felt like cooking. I would look for any excuse to grab fast-food or go out to dinner. That all changed during and after this program. Before the program, I was looking at pictures of myself and was just like, “Sam, you gotta do somethin girl!” This wasn’t me, I used to enjoy working out and was always active. I just fell into a mid-twenties..OK, more toward late-twenties slump of not being able to eat whatever I wanted and not gain weight, working full time, adulting and just being busy with life. I wasn’t making myself and my health a priority.
Then I found The Whole30 ( insert inspirational music here). It was like I had finally got into a mindset of being motivated and determined to do this program with everything I had. Now, it wasn’t going to be easy, no lifestyle change is, especially when it comes to food! Now, everyone that knows me knows that I love my food! Give me some chicken strips and fries, ice cream, pizza, and wine and I am one happy girl. But, it was time to make a change.
THINGS YOU CANNOT EAT! Worst words ever right? Well, on this program you can eat A LOT of food and there are a few things you can’t eat. Mostly the fun things, BUT, you won’t miss them I promise.
So, things you cannot eat. Dairy 🙁 This was a sad day for me because I love my cheese and I really love my sour cream and ice cream. Next, butter. Bye Bye you can have Ghee (clarified butter) which is better than nothing am I right? No Grains! Dun, Dun, Dun! (Insert shriek here). That’s right folks, NO grains. That means NO pasta, NO quinoa, NO bread, NO rice, even gluten-free noodles are off limits because that would be cheating! And we don’t cheat! Right? Yes, we are all honest human beings who would never think of such things, but really, don’t do it HAHA. Also, I saved the worst for last, no sugar. Yes, this is a big one folks because sugar is in a lot of things we buy.
Read your labels!
You have to be really vigilant and read your labels! When you look at a product you have to look at the ingredients. You only want to buy products that have real food in them and no sugar. For example, If I want to go to the store and buy a pasta sauce and not for pasta but for zucchini noodles, I swear! Then I want to look for an organic pasta sauce right off the bat. I’m going to look at the ingredients and make sure there is no sugar or ingredients that you cannot pronounce. If you don’t know how to pronounce it, don’t put it in your body. There is a great organic sauce by Ragu that just came out! Its ingredients are water, tomato, beef, olive oil, salt, carrots, onions, and spices. We can all pronounce these right? Some may disagree on the pronunciation of to-may-toe or ta-mah-toe but that’s not important, AND we know what they actually are! They are all compliant ingredients for your Whole30!
Alright, now that you are totally freaked out and confused let’s get this thing started! Whoohoo!
First thing you need to do before you start the Whole30 is to pick a start date and stick to it. Mine is February 4th! Circle it on your calendar a million times because it’s happening, baby!
Second thing you need to do is find some support! It can be challenging making a life change like this. The more support you have around you the better. It’s a great idea to let those around you know what you are taking on. This way, they can be there to support you and deter you from temptation. It’s another way to stay motivated and accountable. There are also many online groups that are great to join. I personally did not go down this route but it’s always an option! You can talk to others who are on this Whole30 journey with you.
Thirdly, get rid of all non-compliant foods! Toss the chips, butter, candy, coffee creamer, and BREAD. If you shed a few tears or have a burial service in the backyard we won’t judge you. If you have kids, significant other or husband who are not joining you on this journey full force that’s okay. Pick a cupboard and put all the non-compliant foods in there. This cupboard is now off limits to you! You may find yourself longingly staring at this forbidden cupboard your first week in but, I promise in time you won’t miss it! You will walk right past it and not give it a second look. Look at us being a boss!! It may feel like you are breaking up with food but your not. You’re breaking those bad habits and replacing them with new healthy ones.
Pep Talk Time!
Lastly, stand in front of the mirror and give yourself a pep talk. Say, “I’m a bad b**** and I can do this! I’m a boss who is going to make a change for me, not anyone else. This is my journey and I’m on the road to a happier, healthier, sexier me who’s going to look like a babe in that bridesmaids dress for my sister’s wedding in August! Whoops, sorry, getting a little carried away. But seriously, talk yourself up because whatever reason you have for doing this, it’s for you and you deserve this!
*MIC DROP*
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