My Whole30 Results

For 30 days I had no dairy, no gluten, no sugar or sweeteners of any kind, no soy, no corn or corn products, no alcohol, limited seasonings, no rice, etc. I followed the Whole30 and to say I loved it would be an understatement! I felt amazing, still do, and felt light. I was told by several different people that my face almost glowed like a pregnant woman's and for the first time since having kids my gut felt completely normal. 

At about the same time, my therapist told me I'd need to work out nearly every single day. I suffered a stroke with my accident 9 months ago and exercise will help me to make gains (now) and keep them (always). So not only did I keep a strict diet for 30 days, I worked out for 30min to 75min almost every single one of them!

I ate a lot at home, some out, and conquered a girls' weekend, halloween, a Brown's game, and more during my Whole30. Even though it's technically over today, I did not get in the halloween candy at all! 

So what did I eat this month?! A lot of veggies, meat and eggs. I would scramble eggs and spinach together. I never made myself a meal and my family a separate meal. I planned so that with whatever they were having, I was always able to eat the meat and vegetables. I could have potatoes, so twice I made a roast, carrots, onions and potatoes in the crock pot. I tried to make enough of each meal to have leftovers each day for lunch. If that didn't work out, I would have approved tuna with olive oil and vinegar or a salad. Sometimes I even had breakfast for lunch or dinner. The one "exception" I made was that I drank Shakeology daily. The Whole30 doesn't want you to have a meal replacement so I often had it as my drink with a meal. After my accident, I feel Shakeology is much needed because of all the vitamins and nutrients! 

Five years ago this January I was diagnosed with Chron's Disease. Then in rehab I contracted a bad bacteria in my gut. Between that and the extreme amount of antibiotics I was given (some as preventative medicine, others for things like a kidney infection and pneumonia), my gut was a disaster! I have controlled my Chron's with fiber for 3 years and haven't taken medicine. I found myself thinking about going to my gastroenterologist and getting drugs to calm my stomach and intestines. Then my sister introduced me to the Whole30. I have never felt more normal--even for the 2 years I was prescribed medication!

Now that my 30 days have ended, I plan to indulge a little for Thanksgiving and then get back onto my plan. I never, ever thought I'd say that! Today I've had a bowl of cereal and a piece of candy to suck on, but everything else has been Whole30 approved. Even when packing dinner, I told Scott not to make me a sandwich. I don't need that much bread! I packed carrots, oranges, nuts and Shakeology instead. Food should be fuel for the body, not have an emotional attachment. For years I ate to enjoy, now I eat to fuel my body and feel great! 

I was never, ever hungry in the Whole30, nor did I find myself wishing for the carbs on my kids plates at dinner. I was 100% satisfied! So I was very surprised to see I'd lost 15 lbs!! I'm only a few pounds up from my college graduation weight! In the past week I've looked like I dropped weight but one rule of the Whole30 is not weighing yourself for the entire time. So I did not weigh myself until this morning. Having lost about 30 lbs right after my accident, putting all of it plus 2 back on, I had a few pounds to lose. Feeling great is my favorite benefit, but dropping those pounds is second! 

I'm happy to answer any questions about my Whole30 journey. If you're interested, check out whole30.com or read the book It Starts With Food. I did both and found the book to be exceptionally informative! For now I'll enjoy my meat and veggies--the diet God intended for me :)