My Whole 30 Experience

As one of my best friends tells me all the time, I’m always up to something. I don’t diet because I don’t think it’s beneficial for the long term, but I’m always up for a health or fitness challenge/reset. I started focusing more on clean eating and workout out almost 3 years ago, and I like to do challenges and resets to spice things up and help me get over plateaus. I had about 10 more pounds I wanted to lose (because the built in winter coat was getting a little too heavy), and of course, the smaller you are the harder it is to lose weight. So I decided to try Whole 30 to help me get over this little speed bump and back on the road to weight loss. This isn’t the first time I’ve done something like this. Around this time last year, I did the 21 Day Sugar Detox and I really liked it. So here we are again! Time to try something new.

First of all, let me catch you up to speed on what Whole 30 is. The Whole 30 program, founded in 2009, is supposed to be thought of as a short-term nutrition reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system. Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. So the only way to know if and/or how these foods are affecting you is to strip them from your diet.

So after I read the general description, I looked up the specific rules and regs.

Do not consume added sugar, real or artificial. Do not consume alcohol, in any form, not even for cooking. Do not eat grains. Do not eat legumes. Do not eat dairy. Do not consume carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites. Do not consume baked goods, junk foods, or treats with “approved” ingredients. Toss the scale.

So, I thought, this should be pretty easy:

30 days. Cut the cheese, grains, beans, and dessert. I can do this.

What I could eat: meat, poultry, fish, veggies, fruits, and fats.

The only rule I decided from the jump that I wasn’t going to follow: “toss the scale”

Umm how about no. I get it, the idea is to focus on the experience and not the pounds. But I weigh in regularly because I track body mass index, muscle mass, water, and a whole bunch of other stuff. I’m no slave to the number, I actually care more about muscle mass than I do weight. So I took it upon myself to ignore that rule. But aside from that, it was game on.

So anyway, on to the good stuff!

My Overall Whole 30 Experience (in a nutshell)

Week 1

- Total workouts: 4 (cardio and strength training at the gym)

- Mood: feeling good!

Week 2

- Total workouts: 3 (cardio and strength training at the gym and at home)

- Mood: stressed but still feeling okay

Week 3

- Total workouts: 2 (boxing and yoga)

- Mood: not so great

- Lots of social events that include food I can’t eat; I had to cheat and eat fries because the salad I ordered at a birthday dinner was absolutely disgusting

Week 4

- Total workouts: 3

- Mood: pretty good

- Crazy chocolate cravings!!!

So many things happened during this Whole 30 thing. When I decided to do this, I had two things on my mind: the fact that I wanted to eat any and everything on Thanksgiving, and the fact that I wanted to eat any and everything on Christmas. My solution? Do Whole 30 right in the middle! In hindsight, it definitely wasn’t my smartest idea due to large number the birthday and holiday dinners/celebrations I had to attend where I would have no control over what I could eat. There were many days where I had to turn down lots of things and settle for French fries or a salad, and even then the dressing that was offered was never Whole 30-approved. So I guess those little things like non-approved salad dressing and fries (because potatoes are allowed but fried foods are forbidden) can be counted as cheating. But I did follow most of the rules! The whole 30 days, I did not have dairy, grains, beans, lentils, refined or processed foods or added sugars (except the gummy worms). Like I said, I had a lot of unexpected things going on in December so I didn’t always have the time or the resources to cook and eat “Whole 30-approved”. But I did my best, and I think my best was pretty good. I lost 7 pounds, watched my skin get a little clearer, and felt a distinct difference in energy levels.

I think what I liked the most about Whole 30 is that it isn’t your typical diet or reset. There’s no tracking of calories or point system, and you won’t be hungry because there’s no limit on how much of the approved stuff you can eat. You can eat as much as you want, as long as the food you’re eating is compliant.

How To: Meal Prep

7 Tips to Making a Lifestyle Change

21 Day Sugar Detox Experience

If you’re considering doing Whole 30, here are my top tips for conquering Whole 30 like a boss

Use this Trader Joe’s Whole 30 Grocery List

I usually shop at Safeway or Shoppers, but I knew that life was pretty hectic at the time and that I needed to buy my groceries from a store that did as much of the work for me as possible. I was more than willing to pay for convenience. I’m no stranger to Trader Joe’s, but I really only go when I need an item that I couldn’t find at my regular grocer because the closest Trader Joe’s isn’t too close to where I live. For Whole 30, I stocked up on some of the things on this list that I knew would make my life easier from week to week (namely the pre-cut sweet potatoes, zig zag butternut squash pasta, chicken sausage, and cauliflower rice). So Google the Whole 30 grocery list for whatever your local grocery store is, I’m sure a kind soul has already made a list of compliant items for you!

Make your own dressings or buy Tessemae’s

I like to make my own balsamic vinaigrette because I honestly like the taste better than store bought vinaigrette. But I will say that Tessemae’s is a very close second! They have a whole section of Whole 30 compliant dressings and condiments on their website and that was a life saver. I ended up using their balsamic vinaigrette, creamy caesar, creamy ranch, and barbecue sauce. Their website also has a Whole 30 section full of compliant recipes using their dressings and condiments. You can buy them in-store at Whole Foods, Walmart, and Harris Teeter, or online.

Plan and prep!

Y’all know that I’m a huge advocate for meal prepping and I honestly think it’s a must for Whole 30! I used the Notes app in my phone to make a list of compliant foods and recipes I like, and I also used it to make grocery lists and meal plans for each week. Like I’ve said before, I’m pretty Plain Jane and it takes me a while to get tired of food. So I usually make one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, and a couple different snacks for each week. If you want more variety, you just have to plan accordingly.

Always make leftovers (because there’s nothing more rewarding than knowing that your meals are already cooked and ready to go for the day)

That is it for this post! Let me know if you’ve tried Whole 30 or if you want to try it in the comments below!