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! 
  

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!