We Finished Whole 30
Brian and I completed Whole 30 a few weeks ago. We were encouraged to try it by friends who had completed it before. The idea of challenging ourselves to eat healthier than we already were was something we wanted to try together. After the 30 days, I came away with a few thoughts I look forward to using in my post Whole 30 life.
Whole 30 is NOT Difficult
Leading up to the start of Whole 30, friends talked as if it would be incredibly challenging. So much so, we started Whole 30 three days early to allow for day five and day six (the "worst days") to occur on a weekend. About ten or so days in I was shocked at how easy it all was. Yes, black coffee took some getting used to, but we're almost two weeks past day 30 and it's how I take my coffee now. And the sugar cravings stopped after a few days.
Plus, Brian and I did it together. Which was more of a competition thing than it was about actual accountability. "No, I won't drink that beer/eat that cupcake/indulge in those carbs because I can't let Brian win Whole 30."
Sugar is in F*cking Everything
To be honest, I was very ignorant to the amount sugar I ate on a regular basis. Brian and I didn't keep sweets in the house and I felt like I had a semi-healthy diet, however, through Whole 30 I learned I was consuming so much sugar without my knowledge. That Whataburger spicy ketchup you love that reminds you of home? It has 4 grams of sugar per serving and I'm definitely a double (maybe triple) serving type of girl. That salad dressing on your Panera Bread salad? It's mostly sugar. That dried fruit? Yeah, that's not natural sugar. That sports drink you've had to replenish your electrolytes since you were a child? 56 grams of sugar!
After Whole 30, I'm not like a crazy sugar-counter, but I will limit the unnecessary sugars from my life to save room for the necessary ones like ice cream.
Cauliflower Rice is the Bomb and La Croix is Life
Prior to Whole 30, I had never had cauliflower rice. Boy was I missing out! Cauliflower was one of my least favorite vegetables, but oh my goodness I was wrong. Maybe I am being too bold when I say cauliflower rice is better than regular rice. And since we buy the steamer bags it's 100x easier and far less mess than actual rice.
My beverages throughout the day pretty much rotated between coffee, water, and a 2pm soda pick me up. La Croix filled that lack of soda void. I haven't had a coke in over 40 days because I didn't really need the sugar so much as I needed the bubbles. Regardless where you stand with La Croix, I'll leave you with this College Humor article roasting La Croix. I love the stuff, but the article makes me cry with laughter.
Ugh, Snacks!
Before Whole 30, I couldn't snack healthy to save my life. Packing healthy snacks feels like it takes more effort than meal planning my lunches for the week. Snacks weren't something I put much thought into prior to Whole 30. But now snacks are just as important to us as our main meals. Throughout Whole 30, we rotated between a handful of easily prepared, sugarless snacks like hard-boiled eggs, mixed nuts with dried fruit, celery with almond butter. These snacks allowed us to avoid one of our previous major pitfalls: poor snacking habits. Whether it is an afternoon bag of chips or the cupcakes your coworker brought into the office, your always better passing up the available filler snacks for a healthier, purposeful snack.
Eat the Sugar You Actually Like
Whole 30 didn't make me an anti-sugar person, but it made me think more about the sugar I do eat. And I've come to one conclusion if you're going to eat sugar, make sure it is the sugar you actually like. Despite what my Instagram avatar might depict, I don't actually like donuts. I mean I do, but not like I like red velvet anything, thin mints, cookie dough blizzards, brown sugar pie, or Heath bar icing (look for this around my birthday -- it's my favorite). So if I don't really like it why would I eat it? I wouldn't eat turnips just for the sake of eating a vegetable when I would really prefer literally any other vegetable.
The same goes for making your alcohol, wheat, dairy choices as well.
Whole 30 is not supposed to be a forever diet, but you can take the lessons you learn and adopt them to your post Whole 30 life. Have you tried Whole 30? If yes, what were your take aways? If not, what is keeping you from trying it?
Xx,
Lindsae
P.S. This Gibson Cozy Fleece cardigan is 50%. It has been on repeat in my closet since spring has yet to grace us with her presence here in Ohio. I've got my eye on the pink smoke color.
