Started 1/1, not new to Whole30! I know it WORKS! (plus a recap of when I did it before)

[suncat7]

I started Whole30 back in August, and actually did a "Whole56". haha!  After that, I'd have many start-overs, meaning if we went on an outing where I ate off-plan I'd start over the next day. I ate on-plan all except a handful of meals from August to mid-November. (and yes, I know that each time I ate off-plan was a total start over!) 

During my straight 56 days of it, I found out so many things. Like Melissa says, drinking your coffee black is not HARD. I used to put just a teaspoon of sugar in it, and yes it took some adjusting, but now I can't imagine drinking it any other way than black. Eating on-plan is only challenging if I am having to be out and about.  

When I did the Whole30 (Whole 56!) I had a meltdown of sorts on day 3.  Just an emotional, angry mess. I got through it, although my family may have been the worse for wear. I felt like a total monster that day, crying fits, yelling, just awful. I don't know if this was my body detoxing (or maybe I AM a monster!) but I was glad it was just one day.

I found out that if I have emergency food around, I will think that being bored would be an "emergency". Let me tell you, those CHOMPS sticks are delicious, and some compliant bars I tried were SUPER yummy. I'll still keep some in the glove box for a TRUE emergency, not a "it's 3 PM at work and I just want to mindlessly snack" non-emergency.  The one "convenient" food I am totally addicted to and eat every single day....SEASNAX.  BOY do I love those. They are freaking yummy.  I tried to get my family to eat them, haha no way.  So more SeaSnax for me!

SO...here are some benefits I had that first time around...

- increased energy.  Not nodding off at my desk was a definite plus! This took a bit, but yes the energy happened!

- my tummy felt SO MUCH better. The first few days my tummy seemed to be saying "what is going ON? What are you DOING to me?" with all kinds of weird tummy-language sounds. 

- my mind felt clearer, like it was sharper

- I know it's not supposed to be about weight...but I lost ....21.4 lbs. I did not exercise once, not one single time. (yes I know I should have) and still, I dropped that much weight. 

 

I have tried so many weigh-loss things in the past, I can't even begin to tell you how many. Stuck to NONE. I think the most I did was 9 days on one, eating cardboard food. I have purchased and then donated more exercise equipment than I care to remember. I have blamed this on "baby weight" although my child is not a baby. I have started so many sentences with "when I get in shape" yet never did.

But now...I can get into jeans that are TWO sizes smaller than before I started that first Whole30 adventure. My clothes are so loose, I ordered new stuff and had to send it back to get a smaller size. WHOLE30 WORKS.  

***But the BEST thing...the VERY BEST THING... is feeling so much energy again. Feeling HEALTHY.

Anyway (gosh is anyone still reading this? haha) my mom's b-day was mid-November, then Thanksgiving was right after that, then Christmas. I let myself eat the old holiday favorites most every day. So here I am, back to WHOLE30 started January 1!  Can't wait to start feeling that tiger blood again!

I didn't intend to write a novel, but there it all is. I'd love to chat with people here about Whole30. I don't do FaceBook or Instagram, but if anyone has a great group here that I could join, I'm up for it!

[michelle123]

Thanks for sharing your experience! It is encouraging to hear and it's an example of how I want to think- not "get through 30 days" but "positive changes for life."

[suncat7]

Thank you for commenting!  I just had the Italian Meatball Soup from the new Whole 30 Cookbook and it was SO good!

When I did the Whole 30 the first time, I did start off thinking "get through the 30 days" but kept on going, as I loved how I felt!  The positive changes for life are what it's all about, indeed.