Whole 30: The Results
30 Days of a whole lotta NOTHING! It's done and I am counting my blessings. (What's Whole30?) No Dairy. No Gluten/Grains. No Sugar. No Legumes.
No fun. For at least 5 days. Those first 5 days....SUUUUCKED. Did I mention no sugar? I found myself shaking at church on Day 4. Coffee in hand....wobbly. Like taking crack from a crackhead. That was me. I've done the no sugar for a month before...but this was a look at ALL labels and we will take away honey, agave and any natural sugars and leave you with......dates.
Dates. These are saving the world, did you know that? Dates actually have a cape and parade around the homes of those on Whole30 and talk these humans off of ledges, intervene for loved ones, become a warm blanket on a lonely sugarless night. God bless those dates. And bananas ....bless the bananas too. They are the Robin to the Date Batman.
The Results: I lost 4 lbs and 2 inches total. Which was my pre-Olive pregnancy self. So that's fun.
So what else happened? Let's make a list:
-For the first 5 days due to consuming ridiculous amounts of veggies, fruits and meats....my digestive system was REALLY at work.
-My body went through sugar/carb/grain withdrawal and I had super low energy and thought: WHY? Why did I do this again?
-Day 6 nailed the WHY for me: I woke up for the first time EVER in the fall/winter with zero post nasal drip, no morning sore throat, no sinus pressure, no sinus ANYTHING. I usually have a little bit, used some Do-Terra Essential Oils and they would clear up for the day...but would return and do the oil thing again each morning.
-I purposely used zero essential oils during the month....and did not need them.
-My brain evened out and so did my emotions. I have written for years on this blog about my anger issues and temper that I practice controlling....but this actually has been SO much easier because I don't feel like I am all over the map in my brain. I don't know if it's the sugar or zero dye or sinus pressure gone (so stress there is gone )or what - but it feels beautiful up in there.
-My pants got tight mid month and I was sad. I had just a few extra pounds left from baby three and was hoping this would help...but what was with my tight pants!? You can see the chart below....all part of the detox. And truly, this is a detox. It's starting over like you were a baby with first foods.
-Day 20ish I got my "Tiger Blood" going and feel good (see the timeline at the end for Tiger Blood), pants back to normal and even the best they have fit and what is normally a flat stomach in the morning (you know, your flattened stomach self in the morning) and then bigger by the end of the day.... was just now flat through the day. I think this was my digestion being awesome and healthy.
-My joints do feel significantly less achy. We will see what that's all about as I reintroduce foods.
-I was nervous about being a nursing mom and cutting all these things out. My supply did dip that first week...but I chugged the water...and it actually went back up and has not reduced. In fact, it's amazing to know Judah was eating THE best things possible to eat with me. My Whole30 Baby. And believe you me....the apples and almond butter is flowing around here. Other nursing moms on Whole30 attested to a consistent supply and studies have shown that a mediterranean diet is the best nursing diet....interesting. People live long, are healthy weights and are all kinds of other goodness who eat mediterranean diets (this isn't just mediterranean...but has a lot of the same stuff)
-The quantity of food consumed....a LOT. Because they don't want you to think about counting calories...they want you to just eat good food....no limits. So I ATE until I was satisfied. They want to repair your relationship with your food. I love that.
-Passing by all the sweets...ALL the SWEETS made bananas and dates taste like cake (as previously noted). Or truffles. Or ice-cream. I am good with Nicecream - non dairy ice-cream stuff like frozen bananas blended with cocoa powder. Get serious. Its amazing. I made it for 4 other couples the other night - rave reviews. And hard cheeses usually pass well too....we shall see.
-Sugar cravings are gone.
What do I miss?
-I think I am missing my coffee "experience" of milk and sugar each morning. Black coffee wasn't bad - but I just don't love it. Maybe I just loved it as a conduit for sugar. #sugaraddict I hear there is a coconut almond creamer that is actually creamy and rocks. Gotta try it....since I have a dairy issue. Boo.
- I miss baking with my daughter Olive. We made cookies...oh...every three days...or some sugary treat. How was I not 400 pounds I am not sure. But I have asked her if she wants to help me with dinner lately (MUCH slower...STILL worth it) and it has been sweet again.
-I missed social eating....we went out a few times and I asked for no bun and no cheese and blah blah blah....but it was not as fun. Limiting isn't fun.
-I miss Saturday morning pancakes and syrup.
Now what?
-I am going to keep reintroducing food groups on the 10 day plan so that I didn't do this in vain....you take stock of how you feel with each food group. They have a real plan with all of this and it's perfect hand holding. And as I just shared....Dairy. Darn Dairy.
-We are dye free around here now and made some slow changes for snack and options for kids. We ate healthy before...but sugar creeps into EVERYTHING. Robby is greeted for after school snack options: almonds, cashews, dates, fruit leather, apples and peanut butter, raisins.....
-I just took out the non compliant foods when I made dinners....and found things that we all could eat well. Italian food wasn't really present.....that's all the things in one dish usually.
-I think Saturdays may be a treat day....baking on that day, waffles and syrup....just THINKING through it all again. Because I like my brain and how serene it is. I like my temper far off....I like how I feel. I have NEVER felt better.
-The Timeline for the timeline is hilarious and true....
So, that's my journey! What a month.