I Finished The Whole 30!!!

I finished the Whole 30 yesterday… I cant believe I was actually able to stick with something diet related and by diet related I mean what I eat, for an entire month! Today is day 31 and usually after a diet plan (IE after I finished the Advocare 10 day cleanse the two times I did that) I binge eat all day on crap food. Instead, this morning I had a protein shake with almond milk – I missed my shakes and my milk and for a snack I will be having my greek yogurt this morning and for lunch I packed a perfectly fit meals of a bunless turkey burger and sweet potato with an apple and PB lined up for an afternoon snack. I am planning on a cheat meal soon, but want it to be something yummy and I can’t decide what to splurge on!

 

For my last lunch on Whole 30 I had bbq beef brisket - lean cuts, and green beans

 

 

 

For my last whole 30 dinner I had baked zucchini and yellow squash and turkey chilli with frozen fruit for dessert ( I am loving Dole's mix of pineapple,  mango, peaches, and strawberries - got it at Sams!)

 

 

 

I have decided to mostly keep up with the Whole 30 plan, but I am adding back in protein shakes, dairy, peanut butter, and a few whole grains from time to time other than just sweet potatoes! I will be giving myself one cheat meal a week – this is a lifestyle change and I want to stay on track and stay sane! I may do another round of Whole 30 after some time off – but for now clean eating is where I am going to try to stay - and try to keep watch over my macros to keep my carbs in the lower side. I know I am sensitive to carbs and have to be aware of that. I am not at my goal yet – but I am way closer today than I was 30 days ago. I was able to weigh in this morning, but didn’t get to get my measurements – so my results post will be up tomorrow with all the final details.

 

I did want to post today and share the other benefits from the Whole 30 that I have noticed.

 

1.      Less headaches/migraines – these have ALWAYS been a problem for me and I am starting to think I may have a gluten sensitivity! Over the past month – after the first few days of detox headaches – I only had one tension headache and had only one migraine.  I had a lot of nights where I was so busy I didn’t get much sleep due to early flights/travel/special events – in the past, anytime I had less than 6 hours of sleep I knew I would be getting a migraine the next morning – that only happened to me once over the past month and I had over 4/5 nights of less than 6 hours of sleep. I may enjoy this result more than the weight loss!

2.      My skin is clearer than its ever been- I usually am broken out – its mild most of the time, but ususally right before that time of the month it gets bad – like I am 13 all over again. Well its that time of the month right now and I am loving how clear my skin looks! My face isn’t half as greasy as it used to be … and for that matter my hair isn’t either! Its really helped balance my complexion and hair A LOT.

3.      I FEEL healthier… I feel amazing actually. I think that’s why I didn’t go pick up a doughnut or Chick-fil-a first thing this morning. I haven’t felt this good/healthy since right before my wedding and I love how I feel and want to keep it up.

4.      I did notice a lack of energy in the beginning with trying to workout, but the last few workouts I got in there was no issues. I did take off about a week and a half because I was off work and when I don’t have a set schedule I struggle, but I went yesterday and got in a KILLER workout and felt great!

5.      I found a few new recipes that I really enjoy and learned to cook veggies without cheese and actually like eating them and enjoyed the flavor!

6.      I can see a difference in pictures of how I look – I don’t even need to take my measurements to know I am down… and I am down during a stressful time in my life – transitioning to a new job after working at the same place for over 3.5 years! I am a stress eater – and I am learning to eat when I am really hungry not just emotional!

7.      I have confidence that I lost for a while!

 

I would HIGHLY recommend this program for anyone who is on the fence about it or wants to reset your cravings and how you feel about food. Its helped me tremendously and honestly I did NOT think that I would be able to do it, but I did and I am so very glad I did too!

 

I will post my physical results tomorrow – so be sure to come check back on those – its pretty amazing how much your body can change in 30 days with no “cheats”.