Monday, September 8, 2014

Whole 30-Success!

I can't believe I just finished the Whole 30! I am quite excited about this accomplishment. But more than anything, I am excited about the benefits that have happened because of it. I really have seen so many wonderful things come of it. These are the benefits:

1. My sugar cravings are gone. Occasionally I would desire to emotionally eat (on day 9 and 22 primarily) but the "crack type" sugar cravings with the "gotta have it" mentality are gone.
2. My energy level is awesome! This morning I woke up at 4:45. That was weird.
3. I feel I am being more productive with my job (which has a lot of paperwork that I like to put off)
4. I am not having any stomach problems. I have gone almost 30 days with no stomach problems whatsoever (there was one questionable stomach day on the way home from Minnesota with my boyfriend but that might have been motion sickness).
5. I have these keloid scars on my shoulders from a really bad sunburn when I was 18. These scars have flattened considerably since the start of my Whole 30.
6. I like eggs. This is a food I have been trying to get myself to like FOREVER and have never been successful. Prior to the Whole 30, they have made me gag. Now I eat them every day and actually crave them.
7.I have gone down two pants sizes. Seriously, I bought a new pair of jeans LAST WEEK and they are already falling down.
8. I have lost 13 lbs.
9. I have had almost no Acid Reflux or breathing problems during this Whole 30. Prior to this, both of these things had gotten pretty bad. This is actually the primary reason I decided to complete the Whole 30. 


Things I have learned during the Whole 30
1. You can do this anywhere. I had one going away barbecue, three family events (all with delicious food), and one visit to my boyfriend's family's house in Minnesota (thankfully, his parents were awesome at cooking to my Whole 30.) during my Whole 30. It was actually kind of fun to come home from vacations and eating out and not feel bloated and like I gained 100 lbs
2.  It's awesome to eat vegetables for breakfast, especially spinach
3. I am truly allergic to nuts. On day 23, I had a Whole 30 approved Larabar while out of town and my ears filled with fluid so fast I couldn't hear out of them very well for a few hours. I had previously been having ear fluid in my ears before starting this Whole 30 and now I know why. Anytime I would attempt to eat any nuts (other than macadamia...weird), my ears would itch. But the Larabar was the worst experience.
4. If you want to embark on a Whole 30, a good support system is key. Both times that I wanted to quit (days 9 and 22), my boyfriend helped remind me why I was doing this and that I didn't want to regret not finishing.
5. Anytime I finish a goal like this, it builds my character a little more. Last September I ran a marathon. I really don't think I could have done a Whole 30 without having run the marathon. Because that experience taught me to keep going even when I feel like I had nothing left to give. Hopefully, this experience will help me reach other goals down the line.

Now what?

I am going to only reintroduce two foods which are gluten free grains and peanut butter. I obviously won't be reintroducing gluten because I have Celiac disease and don't plan on reintroducing dairy either (I already know that eating dairy makes me feel like crap, so will only ever be eating dairy if it is a really special occasion). I plan on living a mostly Whole 30 life with the occasionally indulgences. When I looked at the label for my gluten free bread, I realized it was a dessert with all the sugar so will be eating it sparingly.

I also set a new 30 day goal of doing 4 miles a day for 30 days.

All in all, it was an incredible experience:)

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