Tried this last year and failed. As of today, I am on day 8!

[KTFleming]

HEY! I am Katie. I am 30 years old. About a year ago this time I bought a copy of Whole 30 and dove into the process right away but I only lasted 5 days.....I ended up putting the book on the shelf and only revisited it when I was looking for a healthy recipe. I was doing it by myself with too many temptations around me.  I failed. Looking back at it, my head just wasn't in it. 

I generally eat pretty well and try to exercise daily. But for some reason over the past 6 months or so I had been eating horribly. I contribute it be feeling super busy and overwhelmed. I have taken on a 2nd part time job in addition to my full time job, I help at my parents business here and there, I have other community commitments, AND I am deep into wedding planning mode as I have my wedding coming up soon on June 2nd. I started having the grab n go mindset and that led me to consuming a lot more fast food than usual. One day I stepped on the scale and was shocked to see the number. I had gained 10 lbs in less than a year.  I wasn't sleeping well. I felt so bloated and sluggish. I was down on myself. 

Then one day, One of my friends mentioned trying out a plant-based diet (Thanks, Rich Roll). I love the idea of a plant-based diet AND I fully supported that decision from him. I want to give it a shot one day. But for me personally, I love having meat incorporated into my meals and I didn't want to cut that out cold turkey (no pun intended). I briefly mentioned, "Have you heard about Whole 30?" I briefly explained what it was and I could tell he was intrigued (mainly because he didn't have to give up meat). All of a sudden I found myself in a deep conversation with him, his girlfriend, and my fiance about Whole 30. I very excitedly grabbed my dusty copy of the book and they started flipping through it. I got excited again. I was excited that I had support. I was excited that someone else was interested in this process. I have always wanted to do this...but my head wasn't in it. But all of a sudden, I had a spark of energy and motivation! 

We talked about it and all four of us agreed to commit. We spent 2 weeks prepping and we all went grocery shopping together. We have our own private chat where we update each other and complain about our problems . That in itself has helped A LOT.  Having the support of others is key. Do not be afraid to let people know what you are doing. We have explained it to our families and close friends. My mom has even agreed to help make an entirely Whole 30 compliant meal for Easter dinner using the book! My friends and fiance are powering through it! I cannot speak for their feelings... but each of them are different in their eating habits prior to Whole 30 so each are experiencing a variety of moods. MY fiance has been super cranky. I do know that, haha. Having those people to talk to is great. Knowing that if you slip up or even give up...it would let the others down. I do not want that to happen. If you are thinking about Whole 30.....find a support system...whether that be your friends, family, or someone online here....it will benefit and motivate you to complete this more than anything else <3. 

It's Day 8...WE are committed. WE are motivated. and WE WILL conquer this.