Top 7 Best Things About the Whole 30

I challenged myself to the Whole 30 program way back in July 2014 and felt great through the whole program (read a bit about that history here).  I am kicking off a new one tomorrow and wanted to pull this post to the forefront of the website.  I got so much out of it and can’t wait to start again.  This time, my son is vegetarian so I will be cooking less meat and a lot of easy to modify meals for various diet restrictions.

Do you want to do a Whole 30 too?

I’ll be posting lots of recipes, meal plans and tips and tricks in the next few weeks.  Stick around here, on Facebook and Instagram for more!

My Top 7 Favorite Things about the Whole 30 Program

1. I lost 9.5 pounds in 30 days and two months later, I have kept it off. I lost two inches on waist, hips, and thighs. I lost 1.5 inches on my breasts. I wasn’t a slave to the scale either and didn’t weigh myself until the end—but I felt lighter and that felt great!
2. My skin felt clearer, the whites of my eyes seemed brighter.
3. We didn’t eat out much. It was too complicated to eat out since I had so many restrictions. Not only did I lose weight and feel better—we saved money!
4. It was fun to get out of our usual rut in the kitchen. I had to cook more meat—which Aaron liked but I also experimented more with fruits and veggies.
5. I never felt deprived! The best thing is that you don’t count calories or anything (although I did keep track on some days). Mornings did get a little boring with eggs almost everyday but when I was in the need for a snack—bananas, berries and nuts did the trick.
6. I really didn’t do any focused exercise the entire month. Although I normally love to exercise, I was just really out of the routine of it and kind of just let it go for the month of June. It didn’t seem to matter.
7. The kids got into it! They would talk about different recipes and how we could make them Whole 30 compliant and they were encouraged to eat better themselves. It was fun to see them getting involved and helping me out. (BTW, I never talk to them about being on a diet. I talk about eating healthier for our bodies and the environment but I never make it about losing weight. I don’t want my kids to have the same disordered eating habits I have had.)

BONUS: I went to Kauai and paddleboarded with a group of fun and active people! I wasn’t the skinniest person there but I didn’t care. I had a great time and I wore a bikini!