girl-ish
By Kiley Shuffett Featuring Pauline Feo I am no stranger to 'dieting' and healthy eating, but the Whole30 Program absolutely freaked me out. If you've never heard of this regiment, it is impossible to briefly explain the rules (so many rules), so I suggest you take a look at those here. What I can tell you in a few sentences is that the program is meant to be a month-long re-set for your relationship with food. Starting on Day 1, you omit grains, refined sugar, dairy, and legumes, alcohol, and tobacco from your diet completely, in addition to complying by their guidelines of portion sizes and when to eat what. During the 30 days, you'll go through a roller coaster of emotions (check it out here--scarily accurate), but by Day 30, you will love your new state of mind, the way you feel, and your HAWT BOD so much that you won't want to go back to your old ways of eating. Or, at least that's what they say! I was very reluctant to start the program because I was happy with my eating habits before: Greek yogurt, veggies, chickpeas, LOTS of quinoa, and dark chocolate for my sweet tooth .... healthy stuff? Right? According to the Whole30 school of thought, half or more of my regular diet was out the door. With a little peer pressure and the promise that I could use this as material for Girl-ish, I agreed. I would never have done it alone (because, WHY?) so I'm glad to have had a team of ladies going through the program with me. After I share a brief run-down of my experience, you'll hear from my very successful co-worker and friend, Pauline! Kiley's ExperienceDays 1-4: BREEZED RIGHT THROUGH. I cleansed my shelf on the fridge of all restricted foods until there was practically nothing left. I restocked it full of brussel sprouts, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, onion, berries, chicken and turkey. I filled my cabinets with bananas, grapefruit, mandarin oranges, nuts, and sweet potatoes. I was also stockpiling Whole30 approved recipes on Pinterest and meal-prepping my meals like a BOSS. From the get-go, it was clear that simplicity is key on the Whole30. Eat as "whole" as possible, with as few added ingredients as possible. This makes meal-prep easier, but if you're not used to the taste of meat and veggies without a delicious sauce, the first week might be extra hard for you! Almost all store-bought condiments and sauces are not Whole30 approved. Day 5: In tears. I can't describe my negativity on this day. And it wasn't even about food! I was fed up with the entire world. I have NEVER been this upset for absolutely zero reason before and will never forget my Day 5 anger as long as I live! The below photo was taken after a very dramatic scene with my perfect, angelic fiance where I may have loudly sob/yelled at him"IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU, DANIEL." According to research, my unwarranted anger is a result of cutting out refined sugars! Not my finest moment. However, my stomach was as flat as it had ever been! In the first 4 days without all those restricted foods, my entire body had practically deflated. Despite my anger, I realized how much extra water-weight I had been carrying around before making those cuts! Through red, puffy eyes, my de-bloated body put a smile on my face! Day 6: I broke. Yes, it only took 6 days for me to cheat. I took a weekend trip to Philadelphia with family and friends, and I simply wasn't prepared to survive restaurants, free buffets, and the communal joy of eating delicious food. You've been warned: always pack a bag full of snacks. *My stomach hurt REALLY badly immediately after ingesting non-compliant food! The negative side-effects were almost immediate. Days 7-24: I fell into a habit, but saw no improvement in mind or body. One of the things I appreciate about the creators of the Whole30 is that they emphasize not beating yourself up over the mistakes. No matter how hard you try, there's always the possibility you could accidentally eat some refined sugar or a non-compliant chemical, because, afterall, refined sugars and non-compliant chemicals are in a majority of the things we find in grocery stores. The day after I cheated, I was back on track and found my groove. I was really enjoying cooking my meals and challenging myself to make them as tasty as possible. For this wonderful 2.5 week period, I felt the normal up and down emotions, cravings, etc, but overall, I felt confident and strong! *Very unappetizing lighting in my kitchen! I swear, it all tasted delicious! Although I did extremely well in this time, I wasn't perfect. I made a whole slew of small mistakes! Days 25-30: This is where it gets sticky. I put away a special stash of Milanos for the day after my Whole30 program. But after an especially bad Day 25, when my body had shown zero signs of improvement since the first week, I was in a terrible mood, my face was broken out, and I was actually angry with the Whole30 Program for lying to me about the magical feelings, I gave into a moment of weakness. Actually, I decided in the middle of Day 25 that I was going to make it home from work, brew a fresh pot of coffee, and indulge in these Milano cookies. Not so much giving in as devlishly planning my own demise. Although I wasn't sorry about eating these Milanos, I did not see another fully compliant day. That's right, I didn't finish the Whole30. Instead of calling it a cheat and getting back on track, I visited Shake Shack (twice), and had the most satisfying Easter weekend ever....with no regrets. Kiley's Conclusion: The Whole30 wasn't a total fail. Although I didn't feel the life-changing positive effects of the program, I learned that there are whole food groups I can easily live without: bread, legumes, and dairy! Since completion of the Whole30, most of my meals have been Whole30 compliant because I learned that it is possible to prepare and eat a diet full of simple, fresh food--and I'm still somewhat in the habit. I no longer eat Greek Yogurt or Hummus (two things I couldn't live without before the Whole30) and I have tossed bread out for good! BUTTTT I'm still polishing off some Easter candy, and I just can't live my life without cake. Who would want to do that anyway? I think I lost about 1-2 pounds, but I have easily gained it back since then (HOLLA!) and ultimately, felt few positive effects. The first week of the program was truly the only week where I could feel a drastic change, and I so wish that feeling had continued, because it was truly amazing. Would I do it again? Maybe, but I wouldn't allow myself to cheat even once, and I would approach the program with more positivity than skepticism! BUT JUST WAIT before you knock it. Just because my life wasn't changed, doesn't mean this program isn't for real! Everyone is unique! Fellow Whole30 Team Member, Pauline, had a MUCH different outcome than I. Curious? Keep reading! Pauline's Experience |