I did it, I finished the Whole 30!  And I finished it good.  I did not falter one time during the 30 days.  Not once!  I thought about it, many times, but I held true to my reasoning for starting.  I told myself it wasn’t hard.  I changed my thoughts around what hard really was.  And eating healthy food IS NOT HARD.  People have been asking me a ton of questions, so I’ll answer some here.  Enjoy!

Was it hard? Yes and No.  The first week and a half was hard.  I felt sad a lot, like I was missing out.  It’s hard to explain.  But I guess that’s what a unhealthy relationship does to you, it makes you sad.  But after that I went through a mix of emotions.  I was excited and proud for what I was doing. I was so happy about how I was feeling.  I was annoyed by people and all of their excuses (I mean any excuses would drive me NUTS!). I was empowered by my own will power.  I felt like I had tiger blood running through my veins, like I could do anything!  I think I even told Brian that maybe I was going to try and be a professional basketball player.  He kindly told me that was not possible and reminded me that I cannot jump very high nor can I even dribble a basketball.  The tiger blood running through my veins allowed me to kindly take his comments, move on and begin planning my plan of attack on being an all-start ball player.  I’m still working on it.  So the long answer to this was, no, it really was not that hard after week one.  But remember, I did a TON of work on my mindset and took a positive approach to this entire journey.

Yes, this meme is 100% true.

And then this happened!!  Watch out world!

Did you have a ton of headaches? No.  I had a little bit of a headache in the first few days, but it was not bad.  It did not even require Tylenol.  I drank a ton of water and stayed very hydrated.  I also ate every few hours that first week.

Were you tired? I was freakishly tired the first week and a half.  I took a lot of naps on the weekend.  But I slept like a rock.  I’m not tired now. 

What was the hardest part? Explaining to people what I was doing and why.  And then listening to their excuses for why they couldn’t do it.  Just smile and nod Katie!  And maybe bringing my own food to family get togethers.  That was hard, and a little embarrassing, but who cares!

What was the best part? Knowing that I can do anything I set my mind too.

How do you feel now? Like a MILLION bucks.  I feel fantastic, better than I have felt in years.

So what benefits did you notice?  See yesterday’s blog post.  There’s about 100!

You did the Whole Life Challenge.  Was this better or worse?  How was it different? Which one would you recommend? I did do the Whole Life Challenge with a group of folks awhile back.  It was awful.  Probably the worst experiment I have ever done when it comes to eating.  It wasn’t the program or the group of people, it was where my mindset was.  We kept score everyday.  There was a point system.  There was a leaderboard.  And if you know me, you know that I am one of the most competitive people you will EVER meet. So this set me up for failure from day one.  It wasn’t about devolving new habits for me; it was about winning a competition.  And well, it stunk.  I finished in the top of our group, but I felt horrible, my quality of life had decreased by 2 points (we took a questionnaire at the beginning and end).  I felt like I had wasted 2 months of my life trying to win.  I did not do that challenge for me.  Plain and simple.  But the Whole30 I did for me.  I was not trying to win.  I was trying to learn.  The Whole30 is more restrictive in terms of what I could eat.  There were no cheats allowed.  Well actually, you could cheat, but then you had to start over.  You could have cheats on the Whole Life Challenge.  I had the most AMAZING support with the Whole30, support I did not have with the other challenge.  I had a positive mindset this go-round.  I looked at all the things I was gaining from doing the Whole30.  I only looked at the positives.  It was such a better experience.  So which one would I recommend?  It depends on what you are looking for.  Both are pretty similar.  The Whole Life Challenge has more outside accountability built in.  The Whole30 is a no excuses, no BS, suck it up buttercup, get it done sort of approach.  You need to find out what works best for you!

Will you keep eating this way? Will I live the Whole30 100% from here on out?  No.  Will I keep many of the habits?  Yes.  I’ve learned to look at food in a whole new way.  The food I eat either makes me healthier or not.  It can help me live a longer, better life or it can impact my life in a bad way.  That being said, I believe with all of my being that there is a time and place for treats (whatever treats look like for you).  Those treats should be something that you enjoy, something that you savor and mindfully eat. 

Did you lose any weight or inches? Yes and yes.  The goal of this was not to lose weight, but to gain control of my eating habits, but everyone wants a number to verify that what they did worked (which is dumb, because a number cannot do that, it simply can’t).  But regardless, I lost 8 pounds in 30 days.  I lost 3 inches around my waist, an inch around both my hips and booty.  My thighs lost an inch each.  So ya, I lost weight and inches. 

What is going to be the first thing you eat?  Well, I’m a few hours into my first day off the Whole 30 and I haven’t eaten anything different.  I drank my coffee black.  I had my sausage, egg, sweet potato hash for breakfast. I thought about bringing some Halloween candy to work today, just for a little treat, but I passed on it.  It’s just not that exciting to me right now. 

                **HOLD UP, must make an addition before I post.  I just ate lunch and had a salad.  Ha!  Yep, a salad.  Complete with a little cheese and some honey mustard dressing.  I’m one wild and crazy girl. 

Do you see that?!  Cheese and dressing....BOOM!

                **And I will also tell you that it is treat day at work.  We have treats once a month at work.  Good treats, like homemade goodness.  This month one of the contributors is our chef, which means the goodies are sure to be FANTASTIC!  But I’m not having any.  I just don’t feel like it.  There’s no pull for me to go into the breakroom and have any.  And that feels really GOOD!

I took this picture at 8am.  Since there more cookies have been added, M&M bars and pumpkin cake.  I'm still passing on it.  No thanks!

Did you spend a ton of time food prepping or spend a ton of money on all that healthy food?  No and no.  I spent maybe an hour to two hours prepping on Sundays.  This is not a long time folks.  This meant I spend 0 minutes during the week deciding what I was going to do.  Next, I despise spending money on food.  I can’t explain that, but I do.  I also eat very simple.  I rotated a few of my favorite meals throughout the 30 days and was completely satisfied.  I spent significantly less money this last month on food that I typically do. 

What did you eat?  I ate veggies (spinach, fresh green beans, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots), fruit (mangos, fresh pineapple, and an apple everyday) meat (very high quality bacon from the pig that once lived in my own back yard—one day I ate 10 pieces of bacon for a snack, don’t judge me, sausage-from that very same pig, beef-again, from a locally raised cow, chicken  and some high quality turkey burgers), eggs (that came from….you guessed it, my back yard!), unsweetened coconut, dried apricots (not very good), sweet potatoes, and green olives for a treat.  That’s pretty much it.  But you would be amazed at all the different meals you  can make from the above foods.  I didn’t complicate things, I don’t cook fancy meals and I don’t like trying lots of new things, so I stuck to plain and easy and it worked for me.

I’m thinking about doing it, what should I do to start? You should just start.  Stop with the excuses and just do it.  You’re worth it.  It’s not that hard.  But get the book It Starts with Food and read that too.  And check out the Whole30 website.  It explains everything.  Now just do it. Start. Don't give up.

I'm ALMOST there....

I have just a few hours left on my Whole 30 journey.  EEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKK!!!  I was doing some reflecting and found a nice checklist of positives that can come from this program.  So I thought I'd go through it and maybe check a few off.  Turns out I have to check A LOT off.  Nothing else for this post....just let all of these sink in.  It's going to take me awhile, that's for sure.  It's safe to say these last 30 days were pretty spectacular. 

Physical (Outside)

·         Clearer skin

·         Brighter eyes

·         Flatter stomach

·         Leaner appearance

·         Clothes fitting better

·         Less bloating

·         Stronger, shinier hair

·         Glowing skin

·         More defined muscle tone

·         Less dimpled skin

·         You feel more confident naked

Physical (Inside)

·         Less swollen, stiff  joints

·         Improved “regularity”

·         You don’t get sick as often

Mood, Emotion, and Psychology

·         You’re nicer

·         You’re more outgoing

·         You’re more patient

·         You’re more optimistic

·         You laugh more

·         You’re generally happier

·         You’re less stressed

·         You respond better to stress

·         Less mood swings

·         No more sugar cravings

·         No more carb cravings

·         Improved body image

·         Improved self-esteem

·         Improved self-confidence

Brain Function

·         You think more clearly

·         You have better concentration

·         You are more productive

·         Your focus is improved

·         Better memory/recall

Sleep

·         You fall asleep more easily

·         You sleep more soundly

·         You stay asleep longer

·         You awaken feeling refreshed

Energy

·         Your energy levels are consistently high

·         No more mid-day slump

·         More energy to play with your kids

·         More energy to exercise

·         More energy to socialize

·         You no longer need to eat every 2 hours

·         You can go hours between meals and still feel okay

·         You no longer need sugar or caffeine to prop up your energy

Sport,  Exercise, and Play

·         You can go longer, harder, faster

·         You can lift heavier things

·         You recover more effectively from exercise or sport

·         You have the confidence to try something new

·         You’re more coordinated

·         Your balance is better

·         You feel more playful

·         You’re outside more

Food and Behaviors

·         You have a healthier relationship with food

·         Reduction in disordered eating habits

·         You practice mindful eating

·         You have learned how to read a label

·         You know which foods make you more healthy or less healthy

·         You have learned to eat to satiety

·         You have learned to listen to your body

·         You have abandoned yo-yo dieting forever

·         You have abandoned the idea of a weight loss quick-fix forever

·         You’re no longer afraid of dietary fat

·         You don’t use food for comfort

·         You don’t use food as reward

·         You don’t use food as stress management

·         You are no longer a slave to sugar and carbs

·         You know when you’re hungry and when you’re just craving

·         You have fewer cravings

·         You have coping strategies to deal with cravings

·         You naturally have more variety, color, vitamins, and minerals in your diet

·         Food no longer has unwanted “side effects”

·         You can eat less healthy food without guilt

·         You can eat less healthy food without remorse

·         You can eat less healthy food without binging

·         When you do indulge, it’s deliberate

·         When you do indulge, you enjoy it

Lifestyle and Social

·         You have new healthy habits to pass down to your kids

·         You are more knowledgeable about nutrition

·         You have learned how to shop locally and eat seasonally

·         You have a whole new Good Food recipe repertoire

·         You have learned how to make mealtime prep organized and efficient

·         You’ve made new like-minded friends who support your eating style

·         You have learned how to maximize your food budget

·         You know how to create a health goal and stick to it for success

·         You are part of a new community

·         People ask you what you’re doing differently

·         People come to you for advice on how to change their lives

The Story of Halloween

It’s quite literally the biggest candy day of the year.  I love Halloween.  I love the dang candy.  Those Reese’s Pumpkins, the White Chocolate Kit Kats that are colored orange, Almond Joys, and Snickers.  Oh and candy corn.  Lord knows I love the candy corn.  And in my mad craziness (3 weeks ago) I decided that doing the Whole 30 over Halloween was a good idea. 

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

Well it turns out that I knew myself better than I thought I did.  I knew in the back of my head (way back there, where all of those super powerful thoughts reside, like the thoughts that you could run a marathon, finish a triathlon and go to Grad school while working full time and raising a toddler and new baby reside.) that it could be done.  

And so I did it.  I didn't eat any candy on Halloween! How you ask?  I have absolutely no frickin’ idea!  I just did it.  I set my intentions.  I told myself I was worth not eating crap for 30 days, which included not eating candy crap at Halloween.  Let’s not kid ourselves, that stuff is CRAP.  It does nothing good for our bodies.  Sure it tastes good, because it’s been made in a factory where it’s been plumped full of crap that tricks us into thinking it is the best thing ever.  It’s not!  Ok, I’m hopping off my soap box now.  This Whole30 has made me feel pretty dang powerful!  Watch out world!  And I kept thinking about something I read early on in this journey.  See below!  And I keep telling myself this.  And it's working!

And the best part about this Halloween is that my head wasn't congested with overwhelming thoughts of candy.  In the past years it was all about finding the best candy in my kids bags, eating tons of it between houses, then spending the next two weeks eating 10-15 pieces a day between home and work.  And then spending every night feeling bad because I ate the equivalent of 3 candy bars that day.  And if you know me you know I would never ever ever buy a candy bar, EVER!  

And this year was so different.  I thought I was going to be sad about the no candy.  (I know, this is odd!)  But I wasn't.  I was happy!  And proud that I treated my body so well.  

Ok, now time for the honesty.  I put some candy in the freezer!  Because I do like it!  And I do think that there is a time and place for candy, in moderation.  So when this journey is over, I may enjoy a piece.  Or maybe not.  Maybe it will get lost in the freezer with that bag of broccoli from 2 years ago. (Is that still good?!)   I'll assess the candy situation when the time comes.  

What could you do if you set your mind to it?

What could you do if you stopped making excuses?

What are you capable of?

Think about it........