Day 31 and plan on extending

[dianavuong]

Wow! I can't believe I completed the Whole30! I would have never imagined myself finishing this considering I've attempted many challenges in the past and always fell flat on my face. My weakness has always been the sugar dragon and other refined carb products. I've had a history of binging and bulemia and not once did I have a purge episode during the Whole30. There were few occasions when I overdid it with dried fruit and nuts but never did it occur to me to make myself purge like when I did in the past with sugar and processed crap.

During this process, I lost about 5 pounds in 30 days and 1/2 - 1 inch off my waist. My clothing seems to fit better - I can get into my jeans without jumping and pulling them up. My mood has also seemed to be more stable and meals feel a lot more satisfying.

I plan on extending the Whole30 to a Whole40 though because I don't feel like I have complete control over the sugar dragon and snacking habits. Most days I will be okay but there will be times when I feel like I'm hungry after a meal and will snack on nuts and dried fruit. I also still crave fruit from time to time but at least it's not cookies and cakes. I still need to figure out my food intake because though I feel like my energy levels are more stable, I do continue to feel some fatigue, especially in my legs. I am a runner (or at least tell myself I am) and my legs never really feel completely recovered. They felt fine during week 2 but as the plan progressed, they continued to feel more tired. It could be possible that this is due to me increasing my mileage. The answer may be that I need to eat more and include more sweet potatoes..

Overall, I am very happy with my Whole30 journey and would consider it a success. I think after the Whole40, I will continue following Whole30 principles and perhaps off road only when I am with others and cannot eat Whole30 without being difficult.

[Krista Billows Rodriguez]

Love reading all that great self awareness in your post! Good luck figuring out the leg fatigue and continuing to tame the sugar dragon!