The Whole30

As I'm sure most of you are aware, there is a new(ish) diet fad on the internet known as the Whole30. I started hearing about the Whole30 on Facebook. Friends had completed the program, they posted pictures, and they looked great. I thought, "Gee! That seemed to really work!" So, I filed that in the back of my mind along with all the other diets, exercises, and weight loss tips that I post on my secret pinterest board so no one knows that I want to lose weight. Well, here's the thing: When you pin things on your pinterest boards it doesn't mean that they'll happen. In fact, I've had a really hard time getting back in shape ever since I got married. I hear that happens a lot. So, out of *desperation, I turned to the Whole30.
First things first, I visited the Whole30 website so as to learn more about the program. Here is the Whole30 program in a nutshell:

You can't eat:
1. Dairy
2. Grains
3. Legumes
4. Added Sugar (of any kind including honey and "healthy" sugar subs)

You can't eat:
1. Vegetables
2. Fruit
3. Meat/Seafood
4. Healthy Fats (such as ghee, avocado oil, olive oil, etc.)
5. Some Substitutions (such as coconut aminos instead of soy sauce)



You eat like this for 30 days and *POOF* you are magically transformed. Ok, sure!
You can't weigh yourself the during the 30 days, just before and after.

This is no ordinary diet. The website claims that if you follow these rules, eat 3 meals a day, and don't snack, then your eating habits willl change. Not only your eating habits, but your entire view of food will be altogether altered and you will then be accepted into a magical world of paleo eating and understanding of healthy habits. Or that is what I gathered. In fact, the Whole30 isn't technically a weight loss diet, it's just an added bonus.

My next step was to ask my friends about it. It's always good to get first hand information from people you trust. So, obviously I wrote a facebook status asking people's thoughts on the Whole30. I got about three responses: one was a friend saying her sister-in-law did it and liked it, one was a close friend saying she was currently on day 28 of her second Whole30 and felt great, and one was a guy talking about all these facts about why the Whole30 was bad (men, bless their little hearts). He mentioned that it's not healthy to cut out entire food groups because these foods have nutrients that our bodies need and he had good points. I believe that we are meant to take advantage of all food groups, however I do tend to learn more towards the cheese and ice cream groups than I should. He had good points, but I figure, it's only for 30 days and it seems to work for people so why not give it a try. And my friend mentioned that she lost a lot of weight during her first Whole30, so there you go.

Long story, short I decided to give it a try. I even roped my sister into doing it with me because, hey, misery loves company. Luckily, the Whole30 website have a bunch of recipes to help you get started and, if you want, you can even sign up for a helpful daily letter that is specific to each day of the program.

Currently, I am on Day 4! Wooo! I started on March 1st and in the last four days I'm pretty sure that I've eaten at least $40 in grocceries since most of my diet consists of produce and a whole chicken. But, in all honesty, fruit has never tasted so delicious. You're not supposed to eat fruit to satiate your craving for sugar, however, I usually eat a grapefruit at breakfast and now I think they're super delicious without any sugar on top. IT'S A WHOLE30 MIRACLE!!!

I plan on posting some of the recipes I try out during my program, both good and bad, so stay tuned, folks! This will be pretty interesting.



*I say desperation because I really really really like to eat bread, cheese, milk, ice cream, candy, etc. And almost nothing could compel me to not eat those things for an entire month.