For me, Whole30 was a fantastic program that has completely changed my view of eating. Today is Day 39, and I’m in complete disbelief that I’ve finished this challenge. Now starts the fun part, the reintroduction. Which to be 100% honest scares the living daylights out of me. While I didn’t keep a full journal of my 30 days, I wanted to share parts of my journey. If you’re thinking of doing the whole elimination or only cut out some things, having tried and true tips and tricks will help you.
Why Whole30?
I chose Whole30 for several reasons. First and foremost, I wanted my face to clear up and to see what triggers my skin issues. I wanted to learn to eat more nutritious foods and to learn how to live through ups and downs without sweets or alcohol. And lastly, I have to confess, and I wanted to lose weight.
I’ve seen the majority of my friends do Whole30 and the discipline intrigued me. Every person I know has also talked about this jolt of energy they get and how they don’t crave sweets as they did before.
So one night after overeating with my girlfriends and having a couple of glasses of wine, I loaded my Amazon cart with three Whole30 books. I was all in.
All the Feels
Did I feel amazing after Day 1, you better believe it. Even Day 2, I was killing it. Day 3, starting to wear down and by Day 7 I was purely exhausted. I was pretty tired for a couple of weeks. Maybe this was the extra meal prep every night, or perhaps it was the lack of sugar.
My cousin and a friend both told me they felt phenomenal during the Whole30 journies, and I didn’t get this until very close to the end. They also both exercised, which is something I didn’t do, so this could be a HUGE help in the energy part.
Hungry?
Eating three meals a day was a step up for me. Usually, I’m a two and done kind of gal. Having breakfast, which is a meal I typically don’t eat, helped me to stay satisfied throughout the day, and if I did feel a hunger pain, I would grab a small snack. But I was never in a point of “hangry.”
Prep Time
In my opinion, this program requires 2-3 hours on Sunday prepping breakfasts & lunches for the week. Not all your time will be spent cooking in the kitchen, you’ll plan as well as shop in this time.
When I first started meal prepping (not on Whole30 might I add) I was way too extravagant with the meals. I remember that day very well because when I finally sat down, I felt like I had run a marathon. Don’t do this. Meal prep can be easy, simple and still give you a quite delicious outcome.
I usually spend an additional hour each night making dinner. When I cook dinner, I’m typically doing 100 things, mostly which is listening to M tell me about his day and having to reread the recipe several times. I also like to cook more complicated meals at night (anything for the ‘gram).
With all this prep, in the mornings when it’s time to go to work, I grab my meals and head out. It’s no fuss and completely stress-free at this point.
Find a complete list of my favorite Whole30 Lifesavers here.
Dining Out
Not going to lie, I think this may be the hardest part. In the beginning M & I went to dinner with friends at a restaurant I was dying to try. We had made plans pre-Whole30, and I didn’t even think about having issues finding something to eat. When in doubt, I had always thought to get a big salad with lots of raw veggies. Unfortunately, this place only had pizza and salads made with lettuce, cheese, and dressing. Eating a bowl of iceberg lettuce while my friends had yummy pizza and drinks wasn’t fun. But, I did it. Then I went home and ate a more balanced meal.
Do I know people who have zero time and have still completed Whole30? I do, and they were successful. The whole experience is what you make it, and if you aren’t willing to set yourself up for success and carve out time, it’s not going to be a good program for you.
But once you finish those 30 days, you will feel amazing! The joy you feel will outweigh anything you’ve felt before and you’ll have a whole new outlook on food.
Definitely would love to answer any questions, just leave me a message, and I’ll get back in touch with you!
