Whole30 Review

So, I attempted to do the Whole30 program. To be honest, I didn't give it my 100% effort. I was already eating pretty clean so it wasn't way hard to cut out some other things the program doesn't allow. If you don't know what the Whole30 is, you can read into more detail. 

Whole30 in a nutshell:
(For 30 days)
- No sugars
- No dairy, legumes, grains
- No alcohol
- Recreate a HEALTHY relationship with food
- 3 meals a day that include a protein, fat, and veggies.
- After the 30 days, slowly integrate dairy, legumes, and grains back into your diet to see if you notice a difference in your body, how you feel (tired, ornery, fatigued). 

Things I didn't cut out:
- Whey protein shake
- Almond Milk (you can use PURE almond milk with the program that doesn't have added carrageenan but I live in Vernal)
- I still had my 1-2 cheat meals for the month
- Gum. Yes, they don't want you to even chew gum. I thought that was weird...
- I didn't follow the 3 meals a day. I tried but I couldn't! I had 4-5 smaller meals a day. They don't promote "snacking." I felt like I could get away with having my morning post-workout shake and afternoon snack if I needed it because I was eating something approved (except the protein shake!) and my snacks were at the same time everyday. I ate the snack then continued. I didn't grab a bag of chips and eat the whole bag from 1 pm - 4 pm. 

At first, I went crazy because I was setting such strict rules for myself that I WANTED to cheat. Kinda like the forbidden fruit. I'm so weird! Once I got over that, it wasn't that hard. I found some awesome recipe ideas from Pinterest, as usual. 

Here was a typical day of Whole30 approved meals I ate:
Meal 1 - Sweet Potato Egg Quiche (OMG so delicious)
Meal 2 - After cross fit, 1 Cup almond Milk with Chocolate Protein and banana
Meal 3 - 4-6 oz chicken breast covered in about 1 tsp olive oil, side of steamed veggies (Lots!)
Meal 4 - A fruit with 12 almonds or 4 oz tilapia
Meal 5 - Beef Frittata 

Things I really liked about it:
- Melissa and Dallas really encourage a HEALTHY relationship with food. Appreciate the sweetness of nature's food and to turn our cravings to the things we need to operate like protein, the right fat, and veggies. 
- It explains what the harmful ingredients in bad food does to our bodies. 


Ending Results:
My body scan at the beginning of the month was 19.7% Body Fat and weighed 116 lbs.
At the end of the month it was 19.2% body fat and weighed 114 lbs. I didn't even work out for the last 2 weeks of the month because of my back. It wasn't a huge difference but I had to try it. I did notice a difference in my bloating. I'm pretty sure it was the dairy! I never would've thought. Overall, I think its a great program to try.

Whitney's tip: If you want to try it and you're not eating clean, try it slowly if that would make you feel more comfortable. For the first week, cut out sugars, then each week cut out something else. It would take longer but it's about changing your lifestyle. It's not a race! New habits take loads of time to master. If I can do it, You can do it!