Would you believe me if I told you that those 30 days flew by? Well darlings, those 30 days did sure fly right on by. Cravings? Not really. Carb flu? Not really. Motivated? Damn right.
The timing of my first Whole 30 was perfect. January 1. The cliche date for new beginnings, new you, new everything. Post holiday bloatfest was also a great frame of mind to start this "challenge". December 2013 seemed like our personal "No Carb Left Behind Tour". That wasn't just me was it? Okay good. I ended December feeling guilty, moody, bloated, and all around gross. I was ready for a challenge, ready for a permanent change. My body was craving protein, veggies, and fruits. Like for real y'all.
Whole 9 recommends doing an AAR (After Action Report) to retrospectively analyze your experience just like any project manager would do. What went well? What could have gone better?
What Went Well
- Signing up for the Whole 30 Daily. I looked forward to receiving the emails. They were the first thing I read before getting out of bed. Perfect combination of science, motivation, and humor.
- Meal Prep and planning, planning, planning. I prepped one week at a time for lunches. Eating the same thing for the whole week. Two weeks were grilled chicken and roasted vegetables. The other two weeks were Paleo Zucchini and more roasted vegetables. Planned dinners a week at a time, shopped weekly and cooked nightly for that.
- I fell in love with vegetables
againerr probably for the first time if I am being honest. I have always tolerated vegetables, but I now see them as the total rock star of the dinner plate, the perfect partner with protein. - Consistent work outs. Dallas and Melissa recommend going light on your workouts in the beginning. I found the complete opposite of that to be what was best for my body. I craved cycling, body pump, and body step. Listen to your body.
- Speaking of body pump, I love it. It is a great atmosphere to fall in love with strength training. It is a welcoming environment where you get an outstanding full body workout. You work each muscle group to fatigue. It is choreographed, planned, and there are no missing gaps.
- Working out with a partner. I worked out with my best gal Jennie (freshman roommate!) and it helped with accountability and enjoyability (is that a word?) Working out is even more fun when you're cutting up and making inappropriate jokes with your best friend.
- Water water water. And black coffee.
- No paleo "recreations" of carb-like foods.
- Amazing, nutrition label reading abilities. There is some scary shit in "foodlike substances" in the interior of the grocery store.
- Shopping the perimeter only of the grocery store (Meat, Produce, boom)
- Purchasing my Vitamix. That will get it's very own post later.
- Rock star sleep
- Amazing nails
- Glowy skin
- Weight loss (more on that tomorrow)
- Athletic gains at the gym
- Stable moods
- No afternoon "slumps"
- No hunger in between meals
- I am sure there is more that I am forgetting, but am happy to report that these are all a "new normal". I sure am using a lot of " "s in this post. Hmmm...
- I need to reserve Lara Bars for emergencies only. They are too sweet and candy like when you are trying to "slay the sugar demon" as Dallas and Melissa say. I was sure to only pick the ones that were Whole 30 compliant, but they were just too sweet to be a mainstay.
- I need to bond with eggs for breakfast. I feel like I am missing out on something awesome here. They are just too much to deal with in the mornings when I am heading to work (late, always late). I will focus on them during my upcoming track out. (Track Out Day is February 14, but who's counting?!?).
- More exeperimenting when it comes to lunches and dinners. I played it safe (which is totally fine), but want to flex my culinary muscles in the next few months.
- Less fruit next time. Not no fruit, let's not be dramatic. I just said less.
- Food, Inc
- Food Fight
- Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead
- Food Matters
- King Corn
- The World According to Monsanto
- It Starts with Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig
- Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan (of "The Clothes Make the Girl")
- The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
- In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
- Food Rules by Michael Pollan
- Healing Spices by Bharat B. Aggarwal, PhD
I will be continuing my Whole 30 experience to make it at least a Whole 60, possibly a Whole 90. I am loving this new normal and want to delve deeper to see what other improvements are in store.
Weigh in is tomorrow. Report back. Same time, same channel.
xoxo,
Sara
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