Day 30- eeeeeek!!!

[cewdressage]

Hooray! I did it! As day 30 draws to a close, I thought I'd share my experience with the program. 

 

Pre-Whole30:

I went primal/paleo about 9 months ago, cutting out all grains, and I cut dairy out completely a few months after that. I did it for moral and health reasons and just to get processed food out of my life. However, I followed the typical 80/20 rule, so there were definitely regular indulgences. 

 

Although I did feel better physically most of the time, I still felt like food was controlling me, and I had very little control over it. My sugar cravings were running wild, which is what often lead to slip ups. I would beat myself up over these slip-ups, leading to excessive restriction afterwards to try and make up for it somehow, or just completely giving up on myself for a time and eating even worse. As a runner, this cycle was hard on my body, and I'm sure led to the inflammation and pain I got after nearly every run.

 

I had toyed around with the idea of doing a Whole30 before, but just couldn't imagine my life without wine and chocolate. However, with a half-marathon on the horizon and increasingly out of control eating, I knew it was time to buckle down and do it. So I did.

 

My main reasons for starting Whole30:

-reduce inflammation in order to train better (and just for better general health)

-harness the sugar dragon

-maybe lose a little weight (not gonna lie, I was hoping for a little trim up)

 

The Whole30:

It was a rollarcoaster ride, that's for sure! Some days I was on top of the world, and others I was low as can be. 

The first few days, I was bit overwhelmed as I suddenly realized just how many foods have sugar added. I mean really, what the hell. I got over it though, and moved on to dealing with the bigger issues- snacking, cravings, and breakfast.

 

It took me a few days to grasp eating meat and veggies for breakfast, but now I LOVE it. THIS is how to set yourself up for success first thing in the morning- by eating an actual well-rounded breakfast. Damn, this blew my mind. No more paleo oatmeal for me! (well, maybe every once in a while...).

 

I was an out of control snacker pre-W30, especially on fruit, nuts, and nut butters, so it was really hard to get a handle on that, but I did it! I wasn't perfect, and did have one or two apple+almond butter meltdowns, but even that gave me an opportunity to work through the emotions of guilt that would normally throw me out of whack and start fresh again with the next meal. 

 

The sugar cravings were a bit ridiculous at times, mainly at night before bed, when I used to eating spoonfuls of almond butter sprinkled with chocolate chips (yikes). The dreams about the sugar cravings were even more ridiculous. However, I was able to replace those snacks with a lovely tea before bed, which helped me to unwind and could be enjoyed guilt-free.

 

My runs suffered pretty terribly for the first 2 weeks, but now my times are better than they were pre-W30, and my recovery is WAY better (no more limping down the stairs the day after a run!).

 

Overall, this is what I got out of the W30:

-new definition of breakfast

-craving/snacking control (still in progress...)

-harnessed the sugar dragon

-I do not need to eat almond butter every day to find happiness

-A better way to deal with slip-ups (even though they were still compliant) and the effects emotions have on eating (this is a big one!)

-better athletic performance

-lost a little weight- I don't own a scale, but my jeans fit better! 

-energy throughout the day, sleep like a damn baby at night

-waaay less bloating and digestive upset

 

The alcohol:

Not drinking for 30 days is kind of a big deal for me. I literally have no idea when the last I have gone that long without drinking was. I don't go out on giant benders getting wasted, but I did drink regularly because I believed it was good my health, helped me to de-stress, and I just really love the taste of a good cocktail or a nice dark deer.

Giving up drinking was the main reason I avoided W30 before.

WOW am I glad I did! My eyes have been opened to how much I was relying on alcohol before. There were some really emotionally tough days during my W30, days when I would have normally tried to numb myself out a bit with few drinks. But I couldn't do that anymore. So guess what I did? I dealt with it and worked through the emotions. Amazeballs.

 

This was SO worth it!!! If someone is reading this and struggling through their Whole30... stick with it!!! You can do it and you will be glad you did. 

 

As far as life after Whole30... I am kinda scared to change anything! However, I am really curious to see how dairy affects me, so I will reintroduce some and see what happens. 

No need to introduce grains, I don't miss them.

I already know legumes don't make me feel great, so I don't feel the need to reintroduce there.

I will try corn, because, well, I'm a southern gal and I love my cornbread!

 

Other than trying out corn and dairy, I will also be slightly less concerned with added sugar, and enjoy chicken sausage and a bit of bacon from time to time. 

That's really all I plan to change though... I just feel too good!!!! :-D

[GlennR]

Congratulations! I love everything you wrote!

[ain't it good to be alive?]

Thank you for sharing your story! The part about alcohol resonates loudly with me. I was a glass (or 3) of wine with dinner person so that is what I was worried about going into this. You've given me so much encouragement. Thanks again!

[fggibbs]

I love all that you shared, especially the alcohol part! I'm in just a week and have to say that I don't miss the wine all that much and already suspected that I was using it as a crutch.  Thank you and congrats!