I completed my first round of Whole 30 a month ago and IT WAS TOUGH! I first heard about this program from a friend that I worked with and she raved about the results she experienced. The number one thing she found was increased energy. That’s all I needed to hear! As a full time working mom I could use a little help in this department. So, I recruited two other friends and hesitantly we headed to the grocery store to prep for this adventure.
First let me say that Whole 30 is NOT a weight loss program. You should not go about this plan with the main goal of trying to lose weight. You most likely will lose a few pounds, but the focus is to restart your body to foods that are clean, unprocessed, and whole.
After reading through the Whole 30 book (which is worth buying in my opinion), I found that results really differed among people. Some people experienced results related to their health, specifically skin and stomach issues. Others experienced some weight loss with increased energy and less bloating. Overall, everyone experienced a new take on food and how to plan meals around whole foods. So with a little anxiety about this process, I still dove straight in and have never regretted it. Here are five reasons for you to try Whole 30.
My name is Jennifer Bailey and I am a sugar addict. It is true. I have been an addict my whole life. I would rather eat dessert and skip every other course. In order to resist this I have to keep all sugary foods and desserts out of my house. While I like to bake, I rarely do unless it is for a special occasion…otherwise I will devour the whole treat on my own.
This program only allows sugars that are in fruits and some vegetables. That means no processed sugars, not even the few sugars found in sweetened almond milk or even honey. Yes, I had to search for these products. I made round trips each week to Sprouts, Earth Fare, and Whole Foods in order to find specific products that were not processed and with only a few ingredients.
What I found I missed the most was my coffee creamer and my Starbucks run. Drinking black coffee was ok, but the creamer was always my morning treat. However, I resisted and continued on and believe it or not by the end of the 30 days, I had broken the sugar cravings. I had no cravings for processed sweets (especially my beloved Oreos). I found myself able to walk away from sweets that were in reach at home and work. Instead, I craved fruits like grapes, mango, and oranges. This alone was worth the journey!
One of my biggest regrets in this process was that I did not measure myself or take pictures in the beginning. Honestly, it was because I felt insecure and didn’t believe I would make it to Day 30. I was pretty confident that I would throw in the towel by Day 4.
However, I did weigh myself the morning of Day 1, so I was able to hold onto that number and did not weigh myself again until Day 31. However, I believe my biggest physical change came through the loss of inches. I have always worked out (strength and cardio mix) at least 3-4 days a week so I kept this up during this process.
Week 1 – By the end of this week, my jeans were a little loose around my waste. I could tell that the bloating was starting to diminish and I could breathe a little easier (at least in my jeans that I refuse to stop wearing).
Week 2 – Those same jeans were fitting even better in my waste. The bloating was even less and I could tell in my tighter shirts that my stomach was becoming flatter.
Week 3 – My muffin top was gone! This was when I saw the most change. Not only were the waist of my jeans loose now, but the pant legs around my thighs were becoming loose as well. People around me commented on the changes they were beginning to see and I could tell that my overall feeling of being lighter was taking place.
Week 4 – Definitely glad I made it this far and excited for the results I had seen. Not only could I see that I had lost inches in my waist and thighs, but now in my arms as well. This was when I realized I regretted that I did not measure myself in these areas.
Like I said before, I knew my starting weight and I was anxious to weigh again on Day 31. My hopes were that I would at least lose 10 pounds, but I didn’t feel like this was the case. Especially since I knew that the creators of this program already warned me that the pounds were not the focus.
When Day 31 came, I stepped on the scale with one eye closed. I had lost 5 pounds. One part of me was so excited, while the other side was a little bummed. I wanted more; especially after the grueling process of dying to my food-cravings, but I also knew that the inches were more evident than anything. Overall, my advice to you would be to weigh yourself, measure yourself, and take pictures on Day 1.
So I have been fortunate to always have pretty clear skin. It’s genetic so I have my mother and grandmother to thank for that. However, after being pregnant twice now, I found what true “glowing skin” looks like. Since then, I have been on the hunt for the product that gives me that JLo glow!
This was that product. By Week 2 my skin was beginning to clear from some of my blemishes. My makeup could go on smoother and I could tell that I had less puffiness in my cheeks and eyes. By Week 4, these results had doubled. I definitely looked less haggard and tired. While eating foods high in omega-3’s is known for producing glowing skin, I totally contribute this to the lack of sugar and sodium that was gone from my diet.
Three years ago we decided to build our current house. Unfortunately, the house we were selling sold long before our new house was finished. This meant that we were piling up in a very generous friend’s basement. While we were so appreciative for their space, living with limited cooking items and a commute that put us far off the local map, put my family in a routine of take-out and Mac-n-cheese.
Once we moved into our new house, my plan was to transition our family back to some healthy, home-cooking meals. But after the move, I immediately got pregnant and couldn’t stand the site of raw meat for the next 10 months. Needless to say, I went into this journey with the goal of changing our eating habits.
I am happy to say that this process worked. Since I’m not the mom that acts as a sous-chef (although I admire these moms) everyone was stuck with my Whole 30 dinners. Here is what I used to transform my families eating habits.
This is where it’s at! This made everything I gave up, searched for, and cried over worth it! I progressively had more and more energy each week. My husband began to remark on my ability to stay up a little later and become more active, especially after coming home from work.
Before Whole 30, I would work through my morning, but be ready to pass out by 2:00 pm. I would grab my 3rd cup of coffee for the day and push through. But when I got home around 5:00 pm I became Zombie Mom and could barely make it through our bed time routine.
This all changed and I found myself coming home to a new level of energy. I was able to:
If you are in need of energy, but hesitant to take on Whole 30, let me just tell you…it is so worth it!
What a life-changing difference this journey has made! It’s definitely true in saying, “no pain, no gain.” It was totally painful to give up my sweet treats, my Starbucks, and my Chick-fil-a, but oh so worth it! Although I have worked my way back to adding in some grains and beans, and the occasional sweet treat, my overall diet continues to consist of whole foods and natural sugars.
Now that it is summer and my workload has slowed down, I am able to get in longer and better workouts each day. This combined with my new-found eating habits continue to bring me closer to my health and fitness goals. I’ve tried diet after diet and found results with most, but nothing that I could keep up. Going into this knowing that it wasn’t a diet, but a new way of life for my family and I, gave me confidence to push through and change our food-image.
Whole 30 combined with my accountability partners and shared recipes changed me completely! Take this challenge on. You won’t regret it and if you are anything like me, you will find a whole new take on health, eating, and fitting into your Red Dress.
