30 Days of Whole30 {FINALE}

It’s crazy to think I’ve come this far, no seriously, for those of you that know me- I’m so surprised in myself.
It’s ok, I’ll give you a moment to pick up your jaw and continue reading.

A few tidbits I’ve learned along this Whole30 journey-

It’s expensive to eat healthy
It’s time consuming
It is harder than you think
It does get easier, I promise
I learned new (& healthy) recipes, and I liked them
I learned new (& healthy) recipes, and some I definitely did not like
I like guacamole, like, A LOT
Sometimes, it’s difficult to eat veggies when everyone else is eating cake
I like cake, A LOT more than I like guacamole
Use the internet/pinterest/other resources for recipes, encouragement, and just for information
Make yourself responsible- it makes you work harder
Share you journey, because truth it, I would totally read it
Try Whole30, even if you don’t go all the way, at least try it

My Whole30 Truths-

I did not lose the same amount of weight others did (between 13-15 pounds), I lost 6 pounds. I wrote “only” before that and then took it out, 6 pounds is more than none. For me, that’s good news.
I should have done measurements of my body: arms, legs, waist, etc. Do that- see if there’s a difference for you. I did notice that my jeans fit better in the waist, which is exciting.
My energy level definitely went up- I’ve been a big napper for the past few years… not that napping is bad, but when I wasn’t able to nap, I went straight for coffee or a soda. It was a great feeling, like skipping through the day, feeling like I totally had a handle on it all.
My skin (eczema and miscellaneous breakouts) did improve, in fact, my husband commented a few times how much better my skin was looking. My scalp also improved, less itching and less (obvious) “dandruff”. A big deal if you’ve been struggling with skin issues for the past 9 years, and a light at the end of a tunnel that seemingly doesn’t typically have one (there have been numerous specialist visits and medicines to help, but those were band-aids and steroids that were not meant to be long-term, just a momentary fix).
I started this as a cleanse and thought that maybe it could become a lifestyle- a week into the whole30, I knew immediately that this would not work as a lifestyle, but as something that I can do to “reset” myself after serious indulgences and to get back to a good “starting point”. I researched other lifestyles, that felt more like something I could sustain- and I found something called the “80/20 Lifestyle”. I have yet to start this, just wanted to be truthful.
I’ve heard that if you feel hungry while doing a cleanse/diet/clean eating that you’re doing something right… what?!? That was true, during whole30 I did feel hungry, not all of the time but enough that I wanted to snack and fill that “void”. Not great behavior, which is part of what whole30 focuses on- changing poor eating habits. I found that I did little to no snacking but focused more on drinking water- lots and lots of water. I did snack when I knew we would be traveling/going out and about so I wasn’t tempted to eat something that wasn’t approved.
It’s possible to eat out while doing whole30, find the sites that help with this! There are tons! We went out once (to Chipotle), and that was because I felt like we spent so much money on groceries during the week that I wanted to save money (I truly felt like I was going to the grocery store every few days- which was a new thing to me- it was expensive but it was necessary for the groceries I needed). I also did not feel like I could refrain from eating the wrong things if I was put in too much temptation, I knew myself too well.
I really struggled finding compliant “packaged” foods. There is a Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Whole Foods, and most other stores that people recommend using but even at those stores I would spend ridiculous amounts of time scouring isles, labels, and asking others where things were/did they carry this/I’m looking for… it did get easier as I went, I would find something compliant and just kept using that (Adele Sausage, Deer Creek sparkling water, and cage free eggs- those were literally the 3 items that I found with no problem). Even with cheat sheets- companies get sneaky with how they word things and they correlate to non-compliant items! That was frustrating to no end.

fruit — Image by *Ashim D’Silva* via Unsplash

Day 15: HALFWAY THERE! No joke, this has been hard but bearable. I nearly stole a cheesy-dorito off Jeff’s plate for lunch, he caught me mid drool and moved it away from me.

Day 16: I don’t like the smell of raw cauliflower. I don’t like to eat raw cauliflower. I do like sautéed cauliflower ‘rice’, that much is true. Not only does it help with missing rice, but it takes on whatever flavor you want to throw at it! Easy peasy.
Here is a quick and easy recipe for home made cauliflower sauteed “rice”.

Day 17: I can remember when my mom introduced frozen grapes into my life- I felt like the world had stopped for this deliciously awesome moment of dessert snack heaven! She used to freeze green grapes, while I do like those, I have a very serious obsession with the purple variety!!! Truth, not just frozen, I could eat an entire bag in one day, by myself (even if my husband ate fruit- I would still eat them all).
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I had an odd day today- just felt hungry all day, despite eating all the right stuff. I’m still in shock I’ve come this far… Since I was on the truth wagon, figured I’d keep going.

Day 18: I could hurt a person for some bread, and truth is, I keep eye banging the crunchy speculoos! (All the untouchables are no longer hidden due to a furry-long-tailed-visitor aka: a mouse! Blurgh!)
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Tried to make ground turkey soup, won’t do that again.

Day 19: sweet potatoes, apple, & chorizo hash for breakfast- I feel like a fat happy kid, but it was all good for me, cray-cray!
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Whole30 is time consuming and sometimes monotonous- at times I feel like I’m cooking the same thing over and over again… But if I like it, why does it matter?! I reckon I would recommend that to others, if you find a recipe you like and it works well for you… Keep using it! (I reckon that could be the case for everything, really.)

Day 20: it’s all about discovering what you thought you might not find… And at your local grocer, for a whopping $1.99. I’m referring to the plantain chips I found today- a few different flavors and I’m happy.
This means I can have nachos, nacho salad & get that crunch fix.
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10 more days, I’m excited but also sort of defeated… This has taken a lot of effort and some serious thought- sort of like a project coming to an end that you’ve had a personal stake in. Make sense? I’m not sure how to explain it right, but that sort of sums it up.

Day 21: 21 days! Whoa! On average it takes 21 times to change a habit, did you know that?!?

Day 22: SELF CONTROL.
SELF.
CONTROL.
One of the hardest parts about Whole30 has been preparing different meals for Jeff (since he doesn’t do basically veggies or fruits and needs some help during his surgery recovery).
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I made his favorite sweet treat for Father’s Day {orange rolls}, and I did not even lick my fingers ONCE YA’LL– not a single time. I was salivating so hard I should’ve worn a bib.
Happy Father’s Day babe, this was a true testament of love! 😋 (I’ll just go eat my grapes, I’m not bitter.)

Day 23: 7 more days, crazy.
Nothing new to report, I’ve come this far and I have to say I’m not noticing the glorious changes everyone talks about. I definitely feel better that I’m eating healthy, but we’ll see how I feel once day 30 hits.

Day 24: I like water, truth.
I’m not typically a fan of sparkling water, double truth.
Sometimes I crave something OTHER than water, triple truth.
whole30 sort of forced me to venture out, but introduced me to Deer Parks “sparkling water”. Throw in some fresh fruit, maybe some frozen pieces too!
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Still learning!

Day 25: A fruit filled breakfast, salad lunch, and some sausage with potatoes for dinner.
5 days & the truth is, I’m ready.

Day 26: y’all, I got my swim on this morning! I was surrounded by pro lap swimmers & some very nice elderly ladies- I felt like I was right in the middle of where I should have been… Lane 3, closer to the elderly ladies, truth.

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Feeling good.
Feeling accomplished.
I’m tired though, just sayin’.
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My in-laws are here! They brought their wonderful selves and some seriously awesome-looking-non-whole30-treats! I’m dyin’ over here!

Day 27: I had a sweet omelet (applesauce & strawberries), never would’ve imagined that without whole30. I reckon I think of eggs as a savory type dish- they are rather flexible in that department. Truth time- I desperately needed an egg dish that didn’t involve guac, salsa, and/or potatoes. There, I said it.
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Doing some mad prep today (house & food) for a party we are having tomorrow… Working hard to make whole30 snacks and meats that work for everyone, I’ll let you know how it all goes. I’m nervous about all the temptation, can’t lie.

Day 28: the party went great! The food was delicious and whole30 (Jeff even nixed ice cream, so I wouldn’t embarrass myself by crying or drooling)! So many dishes! Sleep!
I was exhausted at 9pm last night. Real.
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2 days left! Whoa!

Day 29: spent the day maneuvering traffic & watching baseball!!!
⚾️☀️❤️
Funnel cakes, bratwurst, Coca Cola, beer, and fries- oh my! There were some cravings and a few lingering stares at the food people were eating around me, but I stood strong.
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There is also some sunburned skin, lots of it!
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Awesome day y’all, and one more to go!

Day 30: This adventure will come to a full end tomorrow morning, as I sip my coffee with the creamer I’ve been dreaming of for a month (hopefully a lot less than I used before).
I’m not sure how, but it happened. I’m proud of myself, but mainly shocked- I had a lot less faith in myself than I should have!
I already purchased miniature Reese’s cups, no shame, seriously. Note: Jeff laughed at me in the store when I grabbed the bag and threw it in the cart.
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Thanks y’all, for the encouragement and support- I needed you during this and I totally craved the support. No joke, thank you!
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I’m out.

-SJW