Let’s start this update with a giant HALLELUJAH! I’m so ecstatic Whole30 is over and can’t wait to eat the box of Thin Mints I bought myself to celebrate. 🙂
To put it simply, Whole30 was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. Detoxing from sugar is a very real thing and I didn’t understand that until going through this process. There are hidden sugars in just about everything we eat, including salt! Crazy right? The first week, I definitely felt the effects of a sugar detox and the symptoms were less than ideal. I felt tired, nauseous and was getting a lot of headaches. You may think I’m being dramatic, but try Whole30 for just a week and you’ll see what I mean!
Besides the sugar withdrawal, the second hardest part of Whole30 was the planning. Each meal felt like such an effort because I was constantly checking ingredients, having to cook and monitor my portions of fat, protein and carbs. Gone were the days I could just grab a granola bar or eat a quick sandwich for lunch! This made me feel like giving up because I would simply just get tired of cooking and prepping everything I ate.
That being said, there were a few things I liked about the process.
- I had a support group! A couple friends and I decided to embark on this food journey together and when things got tough, it was easy to lean on them for support because they understood.
- My cravings diminished. For Valentine’s Day, I bought my boyfriend a box of gourmet cookies and I didn’t have any desire to eat one. That says a lot because I have the biggest sweet tooth there is. I no longer feel the urge to have dessert after dinner and this has made sticking with my healthy decisions easier.
- I’ve learned what fats, proteins and carbs are best to nourish my body. I can better balance a meal to make sure I’m getting the proper nutrition and I’ve also learned that I like kale! Who would have thought?!
I have to admit though, I didn’t stick to Whole30 as strictly as I planned. There came a point halfway through where the restriction was starting to have a mental impact. I wanted to feel like I had more food freedom, so would incorporate non-approved ingredients into foods every so often. However, I still go a lot out of Whole30!
