Tuesday, June 4, 2013

To All The Haterz... Whole30 Smackdown (in its face)

That's right today is day 30 out of 30. I made it (so far). Isn't it KRAZAY! You better believe it (I can't). I went 30 days (that's right T-H-I-R-T-Y) without; grains (of any kind- no rice), dairy, soy, alcohol (so hard ha), sugars/sweeteners, peanuts, carrageenan, legumes, MSG, and white potatoes.

So what did I eat? basically nothing. This is a diet for anorexics- WHAT? okay, seriously, that's what I was thinking when I first found out about whole30. However, there are things you can eat in this world that don't involve grains or dairy. So hard to believe but I did it for 30 whole days. I basically ate a ton of meat, veggies, and some fruits, with the occasional obsession with almond butter (its dreamy).

What was hard about this? At first, everything was hard. So hard for me to live a life without pasta and cheese- to go on without having ice cream. Then those 8 or so days ended and I lost most, if not all, of my cravings. I didnt really go out. Once we got fast food and I had to order a salad with no dressing. Talk about blah. So the next time and every time after that I was prepared. The key to this is to make sure that if you are out and about during a hungry/meal time, to pack yourself something. I even bought a cute little lunch bag. (from Target)

What was easy about this? Well, after the dreadful cravings subsided, I got excited about all the steaks, chicken, and salmon I ate. This program is all about mind control. Once it really hits you that if you slip up even once that you have to start completely over, you stick to it.

Tips? I had to control my thoughts I had to keep thinking that "this is only 30 days, and its not a diet with no end in sight".  Make sure you have support. Brandon was super supportive as were my friends and mom and sister. I also found it helpful to be apart of a whole30 facebook group and to follow whole30 on instagram. I also think that you should definitely try to stay away from making your "naughty" food favs whole30 compliants. Example: whole30 compliant pancakes. While they are compliant, they are NOT approved.  Drink tons of water. This helped me considerably at first. I would think I was hungry, when in fact I was just thirsty.

What foods saved me? I really relied on my protein. I realize that my body needs way more than I was originally consuming. Get creative, buy stuff you wouldn't normally eat everyday. I ate a lot of steak (I have great suggestions on making is taste fantastic), salmon, and 100% whole beef hamburger patties. I also ate a lot of green manzanilla olives. I especially liked the jalapeno stuffed ones and am looking forward to the garlic stuffed ones. Also, almond butter was a godsend when I was having a hard time eating so much meat. As for seasonings etc, I really loved the regular olive oil (compared to my EVOO), regular mustard (wasn't a big fan before this challenge), balsamic vinegar, and garlic.

What did I learn? I learned so much. I learned how to eat till satisfied. To eat when I am hungry. That I can be healthy. I mean it. I know that's weird but I never realized how easy it was going to be for me to actually be a health conscious person. I learned that I really like green vegetables and am not a huge fan of salad. I also learned to cook vegetables that not only I enjoy but LOVE and my family loves too. Yep, even my 18 month old. I learned to cook steak and chicken to perfection-ish. Thirst is different that hunger. I learned that its possible to lose weight. I learned that I am in CONTROL of what I put into this body. I became much more energized throughout the day as a whole. My skin cleared up. I had regular bowel movements (TIM :D) . I didn't have one ounce of digestion problems the whole time. Also the coolest thing, my allergies haven't been bothering me. That's a HUGE thing. I get allergy shots twice a week- that's how bad they usually are. I also believe that my running performance/speed has improved because of my diet.

What did I miss most while doing this challenge? I missed, chocolate, ice cream, cake, and ketchup.

Now, all this being said, I still have a plan to make. What is my "after care" starting tomorrow? I plan on trying the old foods and seeing what exactly bothers me. I have a feeling its dairy. I think I will stick to generally eating whole30 but probably more on a paleo side. I definitely see that our world puts way too much sugar and that its in everything. I want to cut that down considerably in my families diet and keep it how it is now in mine. I think I will allow myself one cheat meal a week if I feel I need it (for occasions like parties and date night). I want to keep the crap food away from me just because I am depressed, sad, stressed, or tired. I want to keep my sugar intake at a reasonably low rate. Brandon is all for us eating whole30 at home still. This is such a blessing for me.

Results: I didnt make measurements but I really wish I had. I can say that I have lost 11 lbs while just on this whole30 challenge. I have shrunk to the point where I have to wear a belt with my jeans. My shirts are also not even a little bit tight in my tummy area! All of these things are a huge YAY for me. I dont think people really notice that I've lost weight but I know that I have and Brandon notices. Those things are what matters to me. I think I will feel much more confident in a bathing suit this summer.

Now for pictures of the face of a champion. Yes that's me. Sorry I am having hormonal breakouts and I look like a mess. It was a running day and I didn't feel like sprucing up the old face.





If you have any questions about this "whole30" shenanigans just leave a comment. I will try to answer the best I can. I want to help anyone who wants to give this a try.

3 comments:

  1. YAY! so proud of you!

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  2. Way to go Danielle. So very hard to do without dairy in my opinion. I still need to loose 10 lbs. thanks for the inspiration. Love mom

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