September 10, 2015

What I learned from attempting Whole30

So I tried and I failed. 

I did not complete the Whole30. Did I give it a good go? Sort of. Could I have done better?Absolutely.

The good news is I don't think it was a complete failure. I learned A LOT. I felt BETTER. I saw the VALUE in it - all things I was skeptical about going into it.

Will I be doing it again? Absolutely! I just need to plan better for a time with less big events and temptations!

whole30 meal example
Regardless of not "making it" I plan to continue "Whole30-ish" eating during my weeks with some minor slips during the weekend. This is a permanent change I want to make in my life. 

So as I look back on my attempt, here is what I learned and will continue:

1 | Read your labels and then read again. I thought I did this, and that I was a conscious eater, but boy was a wrong! I had no idea there was added sugar in so many things I was consuming and not to mention all the other questionable things in some products. Checking labels was a skill I learned that I will continue to use. Not just checking the calorie count (my old way of checking labels), but actually reading ingredients and basing a decision on how wholesome a food really is.

Whole30 Chili

2 | Don't think of breakfast as breakfast. I read on a blog somewhere when I was doing research regarding Whole30 to not think of breakfast as breakfast but instead as "meal 1" and lunch as "meal 2" etc. When you think of meals this way you aren't sequestered into a pre-determined idea of what it should consist of. I found my easiest (and favorite!) breakfasts were usually leftovers from dinner! While I still had A LOT of eggs for breakfast too (because I have an unhealthy obsession with eggs) mostly they were an afterthought or just the protein for the meal, not the meal itself. Some days I had salads for breakfast and it wasn't weird at all. My favorite breakfast during my attempt? Paleo/Whole30 Sloppy Joe meat over half a sweet potato! 

Whole30 breakfast salad

3 | Write down everything you eat. I started writing everything down that I ate so that I could re-cap each week. But what I realized is how good it was for me. Reviewing what I ate, what worked well and keeping myself accountable went a long way. I wouldn't do it over the weekend, but Monday morning I'd sit down and recap it all when I sat down at my desk. It wasn't counting calories or logging into an app, just me, writing and keeping track.

Whole30 taco salad with guacamole

4 | It's not all about calories. Whole30 worked (or will work) for me because it wasn't strictly measuring and counting. I've used MyFitnessPal, measured servings and counted calories so many times in my life, often with little return. That's why I loved Whole30. Eat what you want to fill full. Eat healthy, whole foods, and then watch the weight disappear. No calorie counting, no mini portions, just good food. So much simpler!

Whole30 meal example

5 | You don't need bread/grains. *GASP* No really, I don't need it and you don't either. Will I never eat it again HAHAHA of course I will! But the fact I could easily go 30 days without it showed me I don't need it. There's a yummy, easy substitute for it for almost every situation. Buns/bread for sandwiches? Swap a lettuce wrap, sweet potato or summer squash bun. Noodles? Hello - spaghetti squash! Or use your sauces and meats over potatoes. Rice? I'm now a believer in cauliflower rice!

Whole30 cauliflower rice skillet

Recipes I will continue to eat, and eat, and eat... so good:

Whole30 Sloppy Joes (I prefer over sweet potatos)
PaleOMG Pizza Pie
Skinny Buffalo Chicken
Paleo Jalepeno Popper Chili
Oriental Pineapple Slaw with Chicken
Homemade Mayo (mostly just for RANCH)

Things I will let slide a little:

1 | Creamer in my coffee. Sorry, I just can't do it black!!!
2 | A diet coke now and then. I kicked this habit for the most part (yipee!) but I think as a "treat" a zero calorie soda might be back in the mix now and then.
3 | Occasional dairy. I'm going to let go of the rigidity here and have a dairy based dressing or a sprinkle of cheese on my salad now and then. Unless I start feeling a major side affect, I don't see the harm in adding back in dairy minimally. 

Whole30 taco salad
So there you have it! Overall, I can't sing the program's praises enough! The fact that I'm saying that and didn't actually finish says a lot! If you are in a rut with your diet, this is a great option and I would highly recommend it. Or wait till January and do it with me when I try again!
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  1. I'm not familiar with the whole30 but I love your tips! Except for the bread one. I DO need that. A yeast roll with butter on top. Mmmm. Trish - tales from trish

  2. Kudos to you for getting through it! All your recipes look great. I was actually about to send you an article I saw today.

  3. I don't think you failed at all! I'm on day 11 of my second round and it's sooo much easier this time! I'm totally with you, I don't think we need grains and I think counting calories is the worst! I love being more aware of what I'm putting in my body now. Creamer was hard for me, too. I found that I could drink iced coffee black more easily than hot, so I did that first. Now I can also do hot with a little coconut milk.

  4. GREAT WORK LADY!!!!!!!!! Proud of you for attempting and glad you learned so much. CRAZY how easy it is to eat healthy and not track.

  5. omg. these pictures made me so hungry that I had to read through twice because I didn't pay attention to the words the first time.........................

  6. It is all about balance and finding something that is sustainable for you. I think you accomplished that this month! Now you shut your dirty mouth about not needing grains. LOL! I feel so much better without them but but but grains!

  7. I've been writing down everything I eat for the last three weeks, and it TOTALLY makes me think about making smarter choices.

  8. Eating well during the week and allowing some splurges on the weekend is a good way to go! If I completely restrict myself I know I'll snap and go crazy at some point. I really like the idea of thinking of meals as meal 1, meal 2, and meal 3. That makes a lot of sense!

  9. This was really informative and I am very tempted t give it a go....but I am a bread fanatic and I am not sure how well I will do without it....

  10. Here's what I want to know: did you lose weight/see a difference in your physical appearance? I know, that's never supposed to be the reason we choose to change our diet/habits, and I'm not implying it was yours. It's mine. Also, do you feel like you had to devote a significant amount of time to finding/planning/creating your meals?

  11. i've been grain free since Feb 3 and not only did i realize that you don't need grains (say whaaaaat???) but i'm way better off without it in my system. for one, my skin (eczema etc) cleared right up and has not bothered me since, my gum sensitivity went away and i leaned out so much. i was worried that i'd have low energy because aren't we taught that grains give you energy? FALSE! i actually have way more energy and aren't as hungry. go figure!