So as I am entering my fourth week of my first Whole30 I wanted to share with you my journey thus far and share some of my experiences for those looking to embark on the Whole30. Today is day 21 for me. I started on April 7th and never looked back. For me... I was inspired to try this program after dealing with a host of health issues that I have shared with my readers in the past. The endless doctor appointments to find out "I am perfectly fine." The months that turned into years of constipation, bloating, weight gain, mood swings, eczema, hot flashes, hives, extreme fatigue, etc.. Trying the Whole30 was the only shot I had to repair my leaky gut, restore my body and get my life back! So now... here I am, day 21 and really excited, as well as encouraged, by the success I have had this far. When I first shared with friends, family, clients and co-workers that I was doing Whole30 the overwhelming response was, “but you already eat so healthy.” I reminded them that my number one motivation for doing Whole30 was to try to cleanse and repair my intestines and colon as well as control the candida albican overgrowth that was found extremely high in test results. Also, on the other hand, my cocktail with dinner every night and a square (or two) of chocolate to wrap up my day was becoming just that... a daily occurrence and I wanted to get my sugar craving devils under control and reclaim my palate. I think a huge part of the reason I have been so successful with sticking to the "rules" of Whole 30 and not slipping up or having feelings of deprivation was because before I started, I decided with a very specialized nurse practitioner that if I wanted to feel any sort of relief, I needed to commit to this. At that point, I was all in, and thankfully Timmy decided that he would be there with me every step of the way and join me. So together... we started the Whole 30. For those who don't know much about Whole 30, the main point of the program is to eliminate sugar, alcohol, grains, dairy, legumes, soy and processed foods for a month and focusing on eating real food. My biggest take away so far is that I feel as if I am finally working with my body, not against it. The nature of my work schedule and lifestyle means early wake up calls, rushing around, a lot of physical activity and “being on my game.” Whole30 has been a fantastic reminder of the importance of self-care. In regards to nutrition, it has really made me focus on using whole, nutritious foods for fueling my body properly which has left me with so much energy, and I am not a coffee drinker. I found that rather then having energy highs and lows throughout the day, my energy was much steadier. Cutting out a glass of wine with dinner and an after dinner chocolate meant I needed to find other habits to wind down the evening and relax. I have become addicted to my hot tea and books at the end of the day as well as watching a show with Timmy. I also do feel like my workouts are much more productive because I have so much more energy and nothingto make me feel weighed down or bloated. Over the course of these three weeks my body composition has absolutely changed. My stomach is flatter, my waist looks smaller and my skin is glowing! I can not wait to see what happens over another three weeks. Now.. don't let me fool you. This has not been all sunshine and smiles. I have had several challenges along the way. First of all when it came to reading labels closer than I have ever before, you soon find out that sugar is in EVERYTHING (and grocery shopping will take twice as long). Second, Timmy and I our spending so much money on food. But, we also have not eaten out once, so it isn't so bad given the fact we are eating every meal at home. Third, we are going through a lot of food. I feel as if I am constantly at the store restocking on Whole30 compliant foods, especially veggies and eggs. Also, eggs and veggies is getting old for breakfast. I will say that I have found creative ways to make eggs... like adding Trader Joes riced cauliflower and peppers and onion, or poaching the eggs with some avocado. I also have started loving my smoothie. Its a green smoothie and super earthy, but it is a nice change of pace and great for mornings where I am up and out. Lastly, the first two weeks I consumed an enormous amount of almond butter and I didn't even realize it. So I actually bought new almond butter, but kept it unopened and it will remain that way until I learn a little self control with that shit. That's really all I have for now. I will absolutely keep you posted with how the 30 days wraps up and how I am feeling. Thank you so much for sharing in my experience, if you have any questions, comments or concerns please leave your love below. xoxo Till next time
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