Why Whole30? A Different Perspective

I met Melissa this summer on a girls'trip and we hit it off instantly.  She's so much fun, incredibly genuine, and serious about her own health.  As we started talking more and getting to know each other, the topic of the Whole30 came up (as it always does - because everyone seems to ask me at some point about my own diet and exercise).  Melissa seemed really interested right away and started her own Whole30 not long after we met!  I asked her to write a little about her experience to offer a different perspective . . .

My Why with Whole 30

I have always been an active person in life, especially in high school sports.  I could eat anything I wanted, drink all the sugary drinks in sight and never be affected.  Then college hit!  My mother wasn’t cooking all my meals, I worked in a restaurant where you could eat all the chips and salsa you wanted and I lived off a small income.  Therefore, drive-thru restaurants were visited frequently and I bought the cheapest food I could live off of at HEB.  My body was not a “bean pole” figure anymore and it discovered the dreaded muffin top!

Several years later is when I realized I had to join a gym, but my eating habits didn’t really change and I thought the cardio would be enough.  My experiences at the gym would be running on a treadmill, and then stopping at the first moment I lost my breath.  Then I’d hit the weight room with a few reps, pat myself on the back  and say, "good job."  My mind outweighed my matter! 

This past summer I was on a girl’s trip with some old and new friends.  This is where I met 2 girls who I noticed weren't eating all the junk food we were and drinking the lowest calorie adult beverage possible.  I wanted to know WHY!  After an in depth conversation about their Whole 30 experiences, I never thought it would be something I could do.  I loved my carbs, cheese and wine.  (All the right ingredients for a good party right?!?!)  But I wanted to make a change in my everyday life quick.  This is my WHY:

·         *Challenge – Was I up for this?  I have never fully challenged myself on a food program the way Whole 30 does.  There are NO cheat days!  You eat 3 very fulfilling healthy meals with no snacking in between.  I was a big 5 – 6 small meals a day kind of girl so this was a huge change for me.

·         *Dependency on dairy – OMG I am in love with milk and always have been as a child!  I grew up where we had a glass of milk with every dinner and that habit carried over into my adulthood.  Then as I got older and discovered wine, cheese is the perfect pairing right!  I knew this was going to be my weak moment in the 30 day challenge, but excluding this from my diet is where I saw the craziest results!

·       *  “Rewarded” with food – I am fully aware I am not a dog and if I sit I don’t get a treat.  But we do this so often in our everyday life, reward ourselves with food.  If I had a bad day, I need a Happy Hour.  I ate good tonight so I can have that bowl of ice cream.  Whole 30 is all about the protein, fruits and vegetables, there is no “if”, “ands” or “buts” about it; that is what you are eating.

·         *Clean Eating – I have never fully eaten clean in my life, so I knew cooking was going to be challenging.  I read the book, “It Starts with Food” and got some good ideas from it, but I knew it wouldn’t be enough.  I followed any Pinterest page I found and about 3 bloggers.  Talk about creative eating, I had discovered a new way to cook and prepare food.  And it was good!

·        * Results – WOW!  I was stunned by the way I looked, how wonderful I felt and the energy I had.  Energy fuels the body people, it’s a true statement! 

After Whole 30, I slowly added the “no no” foods of Whole 30 back in to my diet and I paid for it.  My body spoke to me in a way it has never done before and I now choose my foods wisely.  I am enjoying the lifestyle of food the way Whole 30 opened my eyes up to.  The experience is a life changing one and I would challenge anyone to do it, as it changed my life in unexpected ways!


DAY 17 FOOD LOG:

Pre-Workout - apples and almond butter, a few bites of smoked chicken

Post-Workout - 1/2 beef burger patty, nuts

Meal 1 - Omelet with bacon, sausage, tomato, bell pepper, topped with salsa, side of mixed fuit

Meal 2 - Bacon and Okra Pilau, Chicken Salad with Spinach

Meal 3 - Grilled pork tenderloin,  roasted Brussels sprouts and bacon