Whole30 Round 2!

I am starting my second official round of Whole30 tomorrow and I am super excited about it!  I have had a few people asking questions lately and trying to figure out whether or not they should commit to trying Whole30.  This post is an effort to help you better understand Whole30 and hopefully convince you to join me on my round 2!

 Why did I decide to try Whole30?

·       I had tried working out.  Consistently pushing my body past its limits.  I did get stronger.  I did see improvements in my cardio.  I did not see anything change on the scale or in the mirror.

·       I was already suspecting some trends in my body’s response to breads.  Whole30 gave me a system to verify whether this was actually happening or was it just a series of coincidences resulting from other circumstances.

·       I was desperate.  I knew I was unhealthy and I knew I needed to make major changes.  I had tried a couple of diets, even one very strict diet involving measuring every portion and checking off over dozen specific boxes a day, with little to no results.  I was sure that there was no diet out there that worked for me.  Whole30 is NOT a diet.

·       Someone I knew (Mama Ward Gets Fit) was trying it and posting about all of the amazing benefits she was experiencing.  Her page is a great source of encouragement and motivation.

·       I was impressed by the heart of the program and its commitment to help others.  I could tell the priority was not to make a profit or to privatize their knowledge.  ALL of the information needed is available on-line for FREE, including a virtual support community.  Whole30 is powered entirely by people committed to helping others.

 Why should you try Whole30?

·       You can do it for free.  Yes, there are books out there to purchase.  But they are only supplemental tools to help you succeed.  You don’t HAVE to buy them.  There are a bajillion free recipes available on-line.   I have been learning from Whole30 and applying it for almost nine months and only just now ordered a book and a cookbook.  Even still, this purchase was motivated out of a desire to give back to a company that has helped me so much, not because I felt like I needed either book.

·       Transform your relationship with food.  I did not see this coming at all.  I thought by doing Whole30 I would just improve my self-discipline, make short-term sacrifices, that type of thing.  But here I am, nine months later, still wanting to do better for my body.  Consistently seeking to learn more about which foods are most beneficial to my body and reaching my goals.  Whole30 completely transformed my emotions towards food and transformed how I view different foods.  (more below)

·       It is about you!  Every single body is unique, and the entire goal of Whole30 is to help you figure out how to tailor your diet to what works with your body.

·       You will see results.  A handful of people I know have already tried Whole30 because they saw me lose SO much weight.  My weight loss is not a typical result, and the Whole30 website will tell you over and over again- weight loss is not the best benefit of completing Whole30.  I will tell you that even with the insane amount of weight I have lost, that is still not the best part.  Everyone I know who has completed the 30 days was thrilled with the results they did see and many are currently doing a second round of Whole30.  From lowered blood pressure, to improvements in cardio and breathing, to changes in complexion, to increased energy levels, and the list goes on. You probably will not lose 46 pounds in 5 months, but you will see and feel results.

 What is Whole30?

Whole30 is a program that helps you understand how different foods affect you.  You eliminate all of the groups that could potentially have a negative impact on your body for 30 days- a 30 day reset.  Then you reintroduce the groups one at a time and observe how each of them impact you.  The whole process takes about 2 months.  Whole30 is not a diet.  It is a program to educate you on your body’s relationship with food.  Check out their website to get a full understanding of the ins and outs of the program here.

 What do I mean by transform your relationship with food? 

I know, I keep saying this over and over again and it is a little bit abstract.  You have to experience it to really get it, but let me attempt to explain.  Every relationship has a give and take and is governed by a set of often unspoken but understood rules.  Every relationship you have with people is influenced by the world around you telling what normal is, how those around should look and act, and what you should expect to get out of a relationship.  Your body’s relationship with food is no different.  What you eat is influenced by emotions, t.v. ads, pictures in the menu, and what you have already taught yourself is normal and appropriate.   Whole30 forces you to strip all of that away and observe your body’s actual responses to the foods you eat. Whole30 helped me to see how each food affects my body and I can’t go back.  Before I was suffering consequences without even knowing I was breaking the rules.  Now I know the rules and the consequences, and suddenly that thing I used to love so much (i.e. Mac N Cheese) doesn’t taste the same anymore.  It does not even have the same appeal.  Now, there is a long list of other foods I would rather have on my plate.  Mac N Cheese is just one example, if you want to hear more about how MY relationship with food has changed- just ask.

I start my second round tomorrow.  I am a few days behind some of my friends and family.  You can start any day.  But why wait?  Feel free to contact me with any questions or if you just want to hear more of my story.  Check out the website, it has a TON of resources.  If you do decide to join me, I’d love to hear about it.  I want celebrate the victories with you!