Whole 30 Results

Never underestimate the power of a Whole 30! I am so pumped with my results from this go around. I won’t beat around the bush, I did this because I needed a reset in my sugar obsessed eating habits and I was also ready to ditch the few remaining pounds I gained during my pregnancy with Beatrix. Not to mention a closet full of clothes I couldn’t wear because they were too small. 

If you didn’t catch my prep or meal planning posts, here’s a quick summary. The goal is to complete 30 days of a super clean diet - that means all the veggies, fruits, eggs and meat you want. That also means no sugar, alcohol, grains, dairy or legumes. 

It also means a lot of planning, cooking and cleaning up, so if you have a partner for the Whole 30, it makes things way easier. Adam and I did this together and we are both so pleased!

NOTICEABLE CHANGES

• The folks that created the Whole 30 really encourage you to stay away from the scale for the entire process, but when day 31 hit I was so excited to jump on and see if there was any weight loss. I could tell from the way my clothes fit that I probably dropped a couple pounds, but in total I lost ten pounds! I’m now down about five pounds from my pre-baby weight. HELL. YES!  My before photo from above was taken in May (around 4 months after having a baby) and the after was yesterday (a week or so since our Whole 30 ended!)
  

• I don’t have pre-Whole 30 measurements to compare with, but my tummy is much flatter and my boobs look smaller too (yess!!) Now I have access to so much more of my closet and It’s been so fun to pull old things out and be able to enjoy them again. 

• Internally I feel more energetic, almost like my body can tell it’s running on premium fuel. I wish I could say I slept better, but with two kids in my bed most nights, I’m not getting any long stretches of Zzzs. 
  

ALSO WORTH NOTING

• I have continued to breastfeed my daughter throughout the Whole 30. She’s 8 months now and had started some solid foods around the same time my thirty days began, so everything naturally fell into place. Because we’re well established with our breastfeeding routine, we didn’t notice any supply issues.

• We were not 100% compliant with the rules. I ate bacon, deli meat and store bought mayo (which have off limit ingredients). I had a glass of wine on date night. And a cocktail. I ate chia seed pudding and made paleo pancakes. I had french fries here and there. But for my normal day in, day out meals, I really got what I wanted by eating more fresh, local foods. Since I’ve been buying more berries and veggies I’ve noticed my kids eating them as well! 
  

• I’m also getting better at sneaking in more veggies for breakfast (sauteed spinach and sweet potato) or with big veggie bowls. I think I’m getting to be a better cook too! 
  

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Would I suggest a Whole 30 to someone else? Absolutely! In fact my mom is starting her first one right now! Send this post to someone who might want to try it and check out these posts if you need a little help getting started! You can do it!

             

Our (Almost) Whole 30

It’s that time of year again - the Whole 30 Challenge! For those of you who are unfamiliar, in 2012, Adam and I took on a new way of eating focusing on free range, grass fed meats, eggs, veggies and fruits. We dropped the added sugar, all grains, legumes, dairy and alcohol for 30 days (see a total recap including before and after photos HERE). 

For all of 2014 I was either pregnant or just getting the hang of being a new mom. My eating habits were pretty bad. Things like donuts went from being a once and a while treat to a biweekly habit. I ate ice cream almost every day during the summer, sometimes twice. After the baby was born I kept lactation cookies in my bedside drawer. I was a total sugar monster. Then the holidays came around and I thought, what the hell, I’m already eating junk, why stop?

So why am I calling it an Almost Whole 30 this year? Primarily because I’m exclusively breast feeding my son and I need to really make sure to watch my milk supply and keep my calories up. The beauty of the Whole 30 is that you can eat A LOT of food (which I love to do!) it’s just that you’re getting all of the benefits of a nutrient rich diet for those calories instead of the empty calories you have in sugary treats and drinks. Healthy fats will be important, so I’m going to be snacking on avocado, nuts and fruits often (most Whole 30ers don’t snack between meals). The official Whole 30 guidelines also ask you not to indulge in things like smoothies, but I might have to throw in a coconut fruit version once and a while.  I also have plain oatmeal, white and wild rice and quinoa in my pantry that I won’t feel bad eating when I need to. Finally, I’m going to be less die hard about trace ingredients. If my bacon or sausage has a little sugar, that’s ok. If we use store bought olive oil mayo instead of making our own, the world isn’t going to end. I even had a sip of champagne to ring in the New Year and did not self distruct! The focus is changing our eating habits to more healthy ones and not relying on bread, pasta and sugary treats to feel full. Since I’ve successfully done the Whole 30 following each and every rule to the letter before I know what’s most important for me. If you’re doing a Whole 30 for the first time, I really encourage you to try it out by the book! 

Since we started on Monday, I’ve already been taking notes and photos so I’m going to post meal ideas for breakfasts, lunches, snacks and dinners each week. If you have questions, please check out my original post or feel free to ask me on Facebook or Instagram! I’ll be posting photos of some of my meals with #Whole30JQ if you want to follow along!