DAY 30: I DID IT, I DID IT, I DID IT!

ERRMEGHERD!

Well folks, today is the day. Day 30. Honestly, I hate to say this but I woke up today pretty much feeling like it was any other Tuesday. And do you know why? Well it's because I have gotten so used to eating, drinking, and living this way that I was not in pain and agony waiting for today to come. This may sound super cliche but I honestly think that Whole30 changed the way that I am going to view food and "diet" for the rest of my life. I really don't look at this as a fad that is going to pass. Now, let me stop here and say that the biggest thing I will take away from Whole30 is to stay away from processed foods and stay away from chemicals. So when I say that I have adopted this as a lifestyle I am saying that I am conscience of what I put in my body and I truly want to live a healthier life.


The debate of what is healthy, unhealthy, good, bad, and everything in between is one that you could have with just about anyone. As I have said in previous posts, it gets confusing trying to figure out what in the hell you "should" and "shouldn't" eat. Whole30 does have some help in this department. Once you have finished your Whole30 they have steps for you to take that can help you to not feel completely overwhelmed. They also have a guideline on how to reintroduce foods properly. They don't expect you to live Whole365. They just want you to break your bad habits and feel more in control of what you're putting into your body (my words, not theirs).

I keep thinking about what I am going to reintroduce and what I am going to completely cut out. I think one thing that I am hardly ever going to have are gluten grains. What I mean by this is cutting things like: bread (all kinds), white/wheat flour, pasta, and bagels. I will probably incorporate things like brown rice, quinoa, corn, and couscous every now and then but I have to pay close attention to how my joints are feeling after reintroducing these non-gluten grains. Now dairy is going to be a little bit harder for me to refrain from. I have never noticed my body acting negatively towards dairy (i.e. I don't bloat up like a Macys day parade float after drinking a glass of milk) but I am well aware that cheese holds no nutritional value. So if I have to chose between cheese and no cheese on a salad for example, I will come to the conclusion that no cheese is better - it's not worth it. Now if I am making some zucchini lasagna and I want to use some cheese in that I will probably do so.

In the end it is all going to come down to the big question of "is it worth it?" Is that slice of pizza worth the extra 20 minutes I will have to do on the elliptical? Is that pint of ice cream worth the sugar rush my body will experience and the crash afterwards? Well ya, that second one seems kinda awkwardly framed. But you get the point!

Mhmmmmm - you go girl

The feeling I have today though is indescribable. I feel a sense of accomplishment but I also just feel GREAT! I don't have headaches, I sleep well, I have sustained energy throughout the day, I cook good food, I am in a better mood, and overall I just feel better. It is amazing to me that some people argue diet isn't a big part of health and longevity - that you can eat whatever you want as long as you exercise. I am not sure I buy into that logic because I used to eat pizza, burgers, ice cream, chips, and drink a bunch of beer and I felt sluggish and tired and didn't sleep for shit. All I know is changing my diet helped me feel better - and it could do the same for you!

What's going to happen to my blog? Well I am going to keep it around because I will more than likely do another Whole30 soon enough. I want to say thank you to my family and friends for supporting me in this endeavor. It means a lot to have a great support system around me. I also want to thank my readers and I hope that, if nothing else, my blog inspired one of you to make at least one small change in your lifestyle. Cheers!

(Oh, and for those of you who are dying to know... I lost 8 pounds in 4 weeks with only 3 trips to the gym. Just imagine what you could accomplish if you did a Whole60 incorporating exercise 3-6 times a week. Go out there and do it people!)