I did it!!!

[clacourse]

Yesterday was Day 30 of my Whole 30 journey! Part of me can't believe I did it! I'm so thankful for the support of my husband and my friends! Here's what I posted on facebook earlier...

 

This will be a long update... just FYI. And possibly TMI.

So yesterday was day 30 of my ‪#‎whole30‬ challenge. On a Whole30, you eat whole real foods. You cut out sugar (real or artificial), legumes (including soy), dairy, grains, alcohol, and carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. For 30 days.

I honestly don't remember where I heard about it first. It could have been my friend Emily. I might have seen it on a blog or here on Facebook. I can't remember. Whatever it was, I figured I'd try it. And of course, drag my husband John along with me. (He was actually very supportive.) I figured why not? What did I have to lose, right?

Actually, a lot.

*A horrible relationship with food. - I'm still working on it, but I ate when I was sad. I ate when I was bored. I ate when I was happy. When I thought I "deserved" it. And of course, what I ate was all junk food. Chips, cookies, blah blah blah. Not so much any more. With 3 meals a day and no snacking, I'm able to listen to my body tell me when it's actually hungry. Not when I "feel" like eating.
*Acne - My face is much clearer than it was! Around week 2 it really started clearing up. I am very excited about this!
*Digestive issues - for the most part. I'll just leave it at that.
*Grumpiness - This doesn't include the first week of the Whole 30. But recently, my attitude has been much happier! Just because!
*At least 10 pounds! I didn't weigh myself before we started because my scale was broken. I did make an estimate, though, based on what I had been before it broke.

And what did I gain?
*A love of sweet potatoes.
*Self-confidence - I'm not much of a "finisher"... unless it includes a bag of potato chips *insert rimshot here*. So, actually sticking to this program with no cheats or slip-ups really showed me that I can actually finish things. Yay! Not to mention how much prettier I feel because my skin is clearer. And I'm thinner, of course.
*A healthier relationship with food. - To build on the above, I was very much a snacker and ate "bad" foods when I thought I "deserved" them. I did just have some delicious ice cream for the re-intro phase and was able to eat just a serving size and be satisfied.
*Knowledge of how to fuel my body. - The Whole 30 is a strict Paleo diet. So far, my body has said "Yes, this works!", so I'll listen to it.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't easy. It wasn't "hard", per se, just sometimes frustrating. I wanted to quit several times *not a finisher*. And even cried quite a few tears. But it was totally worth it. From here, John and I plan on eating probably an 80/20 Paleo/Non-Paleo diet. If we go out to eat, or go to someone's house, we're not going to worry about exactly what's on our food. It gets to be a headache and could be seen as rude. But at home, yes. It works for us.

There's so much more I could say. If anyone has any questions for me specifically, I'm more than willing to answer. However, the websitewww.whole30.com will more than answer any questions you have regarding the program if anyone is interested. I would urge anyone and everyone to take part in a Whole 30. It's more than just food. It's a psychological and emotional journey, as well.

[MTNan]

Good for you! My favorite part of your whole post? "It's more than just food." Sounds like a great title for a follow up to "It Starts With Food."

[Katquinn]

Congrats to you!!

[clacourse]

Thanks, everyone! It feels good.