As you have probably seen in a couple of my previous posts, I have been much more proactive in taking control of my personal health and well being for the last year or so. About a year ago, I heard about this "diet" from a couple of friends and started doing some research. I bought the book Whole 30: The 30 Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom and read about all of the tremendous benefits that people have experienced while on this "diet." I also had been curious for years if I had food intolerances as I often experienced migraines, lethargy, depression, anxiety, increasingly severe PMS symptoms, occasional abdominal discomfort and cramps, trouble sleeping through the night, and waking up feeling exhausted just to name a few. Not to mention I had let my weight grow to an embarrassingly high number that I am still embarrassed to share (although I am sure one day I will get there). I decided to give this Whole 30 thing a try last August and I can honestly say that my life will NEVER be the same again.
During my first round of Whole 30, I definitely experienced some pretty tough detox. For those of you thinking of trying W30, just warning you, detoxing from sugar is actually pretty rough! But once I got past the detox, and started building good eating habits and correcting my relationship with food, the detox became just a small sacrifice for the benefits that I already saw coming. While you cannot weight yourself during the 30 days of your reset, I did notice that things were fitting looser and noticed changes in my skin. I wasn't tired in the early afternoon like I normally was and I actually was sleeping soundly through the night for the first time in years! After the first week of detox, I didn't have another headache for the remainder of the 30 days. I was happier and had more energy and way less anxiety. I started my period towards the end of my 30 days and actually was surprised by it because I had ZERO symptoms leading up to that day (usually I would have a night of really bad insomnia and a day or two of cramps, back aches, and headaches). By the end of my Whole 30, I had lost almost 10 pounds and many of my clothes were fitting looser than they had in a long time. I felt comfortable in my own body and happy and excited about my new relationship with food and new found food freedom.
After my 30 days were over, I slowly started reintroducing specific foods back into my diet and found things that my body just doesn't tolerate as well as other things. Too much gluten for example seems to be what triggers my migraines which is why I have gone gluten free for the year. When I'm not on Whole 30, I try to keep up my food freedom ways. There are definitely days and even weeks where that is not the case. I have definitely used cookies as a spoon in my ice cream. But I can usually sense when too much is too much and quickly go back to another short W30 reset (a few days) or another round of W30.
In the last 2 years I have lost over 50 lbs and I know that well over half of that was from this last year due to W30. I have much more to lose but I'm finally encouraged that it is possible even if the process is slow going at times. This W30 thing really is more than just a diet, it is a lifestyle change and one that I highly recommend. I recently started a new instagram account in which I will be posting recipes (many/all of which I have beg, borrowed, and stolen from other bloggers and foodies... which it's not stealing if it's free right??? Thank you Pinterest!), tips, advice, and updates on my own journey in hopes of encouraging and supporting others on their own journey. We each are walking our own journey in our own way and if I can be of any help or encouragement to others along the way, then my journey will be worth it. If you are interested in following or learning more, go follow @MichandPotatoes on instagram. Next round of Whole 30 starts on August 1st and I already have a few people committed to giving it a try. If you are interested or want to know more, comment or send me a message.
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