When you go to the Whole 30 website and read their reasons for why they want you to take these things out of your diet for 30 days, you wonder why you would ever eat them at all. It is kind of shocking to see some of the effects that foods that I thought were healthy, actually have on our bodies.
When I first mentioned it to Derek, he was not on board. But he's been working out a lot, and eventually decided that improving his diet could only help his efforts. It was on our drive home from North Carolina for PW and Amanda's wedding, that we decided that the following day we would give it a shot.
Derek didn't want me to blog about it at first, in case it ended up being an epic fail. But here we are on Day 29 and we have been successful. It has been hard for sure. Inconvenient mostly. But it is safe to say that we are both feeling really great and our clothes fit much better. And while I am looking forward to being able to partake in sweets when we are at a wedding or a party, I can honestly say that I am hoping that going forward, we won't change our eating habits too much from what we've been doing these last 4 weeks.
We would definitely recommend giving it a shot. Derek says that if he can do it, anyone can. If anyone is brave enough to give it a shot, here are a few of my thoughts about this 30 days.
- I spent a lot of time preparing food. Chopping up fruits and vegetables, making dinners, making Whole 30 approved snacks and breakfasts ahead of time. I spent a lot of time in my kitchen. A side note on that: For a couple of weeks during this we were remodeling our kitchen, which added an extra challenge. Luckily we had access to our fridge and stove, and our grill until 2 weeks ago when it broke. So we have had some extra challenges, but were able to stick with it. (Also, finished kitchen photos coming later this week!)
- I went to the grocery store, sometimes multiple grocery stores, a lot. Only eating fresh produce and meats means a grocery trip every 3-4 days. Some things we could only buy at Whole Foods or Fresh Market, so I had to go multiple places.
- Your grocery budget will go up. However, if you consider the long term health benefits of changing your life style, I believe its worth it. There are lots of things I don't need that I could justify spending money on, it's all about choices. You can make the choice to forgo other things so that you can eat healthy.
- Eating out is a pain. There are some places you just won't be able to go. Grabbing a quick and cheap meal is not really an option. You will be the annoying person that orders something and has to ask for it prepared a different way. And eating healthy at restaurants is expensive.
All that said, I would still say it is worth it. I have learned that if I am hungry, it's not the end of the world. I spent the first 2 weeks of this hungry. My body has learned how to feel full without bread or grains. I don't have crazy blood sugar spikes. My love handles have shrunk significantly. And as I have already mentioned...my clothes fit better! I weighed myself and took body measurements on Day 1. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures, but we have pictures of us at the wedding, so those will do. I'm excited to weigh myself and take body measurements again tomorrow and see the results. I'll definitely post an update on that!
Finally, to wrap up this marathon of a post, here are some links to some recipes and foods that have made this 30 days possible/enjoyable. And, if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
Larabars - I recommend Apple Pie, Pecan Pie, Coconut Cream Pie and Chocolate Coconut Chew
2 comments:
Awesome! That's similar to the way I've been eating lately, and I've noticed so many changes in my life! I will never go back. Great job!
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