How Whole 30 Changed My Lifestyle

A new year is on the horizon and I couldn’t think of a better way to describe my experience with whole 30 other than, turning over a new leaf.

Back in April 2018, I began researching Whole 30 and took an interest in taking on the 30 day challenge for several reasons.

I am very passionate about wellness and felt this lifestyle change would challenge me. For medical reasons, I felt this could help me improve my ailments and help rid me of my sugar demons (unfortunately, the tooth fairy didn’t take my sweet tooth)!

I’ve struggled with psoriasis for years. I’ve talked about this openly before and although my psoriasis has been significantly tamed due to my persistence, research and lifestyle changes, I am still very self-conscious about it and will go to great lengths to resolve this, naturally.

I’ve dedicated much of my time to improving my lifestyle. I know this effort will be beneficial for me as I grow older. I am still young and able to make a heavy impact on my later adult life and am taking advantage of this time and knowledge.

I also want to establish healthy eating habits for when I decide to settle down and have a family of my own. One day, I hope to be a positive example to my children and educate them on the value of nutrition. I have a reputation for being “ahead of the game” and I can’t think of a better time to change my eating habits and lifestyle.

In August, I watched my body do some amazing things and transform in a way I never thought possible. Since then, my eating habits have changed significantly and I know what my body responds best to.

*disclaimer* I did not complete whole 30 for weight loss purposes*

Total, I lost 10 pounds. To be truthful, before I started whole 30, my weight according to my BMI was right where I needed to be. My main priority was focusing on how I felt and right now, I feel on top of the world!!!

For the last few years, I’ve eaten pretty healthy and am an avid member of the gym. I won’t say the beginning of Whole 30 was easy, but THIS entire process was ABSOLUTELY NOT HARD!

If I can do it- so can YOU!

I held myself accountable by telling everyone I knew that I was on Whole 30. I had so many of my closest friends and family checking in and making sure my head was in the game. I highly recommend anyone who does this to have a support system.

Again, this IS NOT hard, but have some people in the background cheering you on. Trust me when I say this- it sets the tone for your performance.

I wouldn’t be sharing my experience with you if I didn’t believe in it. I knew this was going to be a change.

People have said I was crazy for taking this on, but I knew this was for me. I knew this would change my life and I can say with firmness, I was not disappointed.

The way I look at food is very different. I no longer feel the need to reward myself with a sweet snack or late night treat because I know how it makes me feel….lousy.

Here are some changes I experienced:

I’ve become a morning person (and you guys who know me well, know that I am not a morning person…AT ALL)!
I wake up earlier (7 am on a Saturday- WHAT? Who am I!?)
I have an insane amount of energy (I can tackle a number of tasks in a day that I never had the energy for).
I go to bed easily and sleep throughout the entire night.
I’m more focused and in the moment. (This is huge).
I feel more appreciative. Not that I wasn’t appreciative before, it’s a general appreciation for life and the people in it.
My psoriasis is nearly non existent.
My eczema has disappeared.
My skin is bright!
I haven’t had any major breakouts

🙌🏼

This is just some of the incredible changes I’ve had this last 30 days.
I’m sharing with you my daily food journal and also included how I felt each day to really give you an idea of what whole 30 is like day to day.
Day 1:

Breakfast: 1 scrambled egg, chicken apple sausage

Lunch: 1 avocado and Tuna

Dinner: Mexican chicken, wholly guacamole and jalapeños over a sweet potato.

Started out the day strong! I woke up excited to take on this new challenge. Went home for lunch, ate, and began craving sugar. I didn’t give in to fruit. I ate a few pistachios and that seemed to help. On my drive back to work, I began to feel tired. Very tired. From about 2:00-4:00, the exhaustion was nearly unbearable and I could barely keep my eyes open at work. My sugar craving subsided throughout the day and I went to the gym and got a second wind.
Day 2:

Breakfast: 1 scrambled egg, chicken apple sausage, half of a banana and black coffee with coconut milk.
Lunch: tuna and avocado with everything bagel season.
Dinner: white potato, ground turkey and jalapeños, topped with wholly guacamole.

Day 3:

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, chicken apple sausage and a 1/2 banana

Lunch: mahi mahi, asparagus and zucchini noodles topped with mango.

Dinner: cauliflower rice, season shreds chicken, pineapple and jalapeño topped with avocado.

I woke up feeling chipper, but sometime after lunch- I began to crash. I felt so tired and decided to go for a walk which seemed to help. After going to the gym in the later afternoon, I felt energized and caught a second wind- then I couldn’t fall asleep.

Day 4:

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, chicken apple sausage and a 1/2 banana

Lunch: cauliflower rice, season shreds chicken, pineapple and jalapeño topped with avocado

Dinner: sweet potato pancakes, egg over easy, kale chips and peaches

Again, another morning of waking up happy and ready to start my day, but feeling the “crash” sometime after lunch. I also felt more moody and noticed that my mood was off the entire afternoon. Once I reached the gym and completed my arm workout- I felt great, enjoyed my dinner and went to bed easier.

Day 5:

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, chicken apple sausage and a 1/2 banana

Lunch: sweet potato pancakes, egg over easy, kale chips and peaches

Dinner: coconut flour breaded chicken tenders, white potato fries and homemade whole 30 ketchup.

Day 6:

Breakfast: this morning I was not feeling up to eating breakfast. I had no appetite and felt eating would make me sick.

Lunch: turkey burger, guac, red onion, jalapeño, and pineapple slice buns.

Dinner: cauliflower rice bowl, shredded chicken, jalapeños, pineapple chunks, guac

Felt slightly off today, but nothing I couldn’t handle. Emotions wise, I felt teary eyed. I wasn’t very hungry for breakfast and chose not to eat. Not sure if this was a smart move, but I figured this early on in the game- wouldn’t harm me much.

Day 7: