Lessons from Whole30

I'll be honest, I haven't been a very good Whole30 graduate. At midnight on the last day I had a glass of wine and I wasn't even sorry. I've had wine since then, and not just a little bit. I was at a wedding after all, followed by Fourth of July weekend...

However, everything I heard from friends and Pinterest is true. Here are a few things I learned during 30 days of what I thought were going to be hell.

First things first: get the cookbook. It's easy to reference and has great tips and motivation to keep you going.

1. Cravings subside -- The Whole30 people say this a lot, but the program really is not that hard! It's 30 days, a tiny little smudge of the year that you will not regret. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, my cravings were more for diet dr. peppers and chicken salad sandwiches with a side of fries from United. They say that cravings subside in 3-5 minutes so for the first few weeks, I downed a glass of water or ate a handful of cashews if I was really feeling it. I just tried to think of how good I'd feel after.

2. I feel better without dairy and bread -- This is different for everyone. You may decide that alcohol doesn't need to come back in to your diet, or legumes or all grains. For me, I didn't really even miss dairy or a ton of bread. I think I will continue to keep these things to a minimum. I do love vanilla creamer in my coffee, but not enough to make me feel bloated and gross all day. I'm not saying I'm going to swear off cheese boards, because #letsbereal that's never going to happen, but I don't think I need it at every single meal.

3. I can survive without alcohol for 30 days -- Especially during summer, when all I want to do is sit on a porch drinking margaritas, I thought this part of the plan was going to be brutal. It's really not fun to drink water at the new Mexican food place, or the great wine bar, when all your friends have drinks and seem to be celebrating the passing of another work day. BUT, psyching myself up for this month made it easier and I was able to tell myself "just a few more weeks; just another week; just a few more days" until it was time to crack open a bottle of wine and really celebrate. Though I do love wine, I was so happy with this aspect of Whole30. I learned the benefits of not drinking every night, and how much more I enjoy those yummy glasses of wine when they are fewer in between.

4. I look at food differently now -- Sometime in the third week something clicked. I was no longer seeing all the things I couldn't eat; I was able to look at a salad and think about the energy that I'd have for the rest of the day, or the hot water with lemon that I drank at night to help digest and detox, and know how good I'd feel the next morning. I'm not saying I will be a saint of healthy eating from this day forth. I'm positive there will be slip-ups occasionally, but this gave me confidence and a new attitude about food and eating. Now I know exactly how to get back on track when I do derail.

5. A 30-day commitment is just good for the soul -- The thing I love about this is that it isn't a diet. It's a fundamental reevaluation of how you look at food and how it makes you feel. There's a section in the cookbook that talks about whether or not 28 days is just as good as 30. They argue that it isn't. They say that 30 days is the commitment you make, and breaking it is the same as saying that you are not worth keeping promises to yourself. It is nice to reaffirm that I have the discipline and will-power to commit to something and follow through. Yes I lost weight, and yes I'm happy to be in clothes that haven't fit quite right for a while, but the emotional and mental benefits of this experiment far outweigh the physical.

I really couldn't recommend this enough, it's a great way to jumpstart healthy eating and focusing on the foods that really make you feel good.


PS. What Lanie learned on Whole30, and a favorite recipe from the girls at Donuts and Denim.

It's Day 22 and I really just want some wine.

Within the span of ten minutes, three people asked my mom and me why wine glasses were noticeably absent from our table. As I sat at the country club sports grill, the place my parents and I normally go to drink wine and talk about our feelings days, I wondered why this Whole30 thing is even a thing. It's boring, it's annoying, and people look at you funny when you say you can't drink wine or lattes or eat sandwiches or cheese.

And I won't lie, today I was a bit cranky. Though my clothes fit better, I wake up every day with a clear head and have energy throughout the day (mostly), I really just wanted a glass of wine when I got home from work. But it's only 8 more days of this. Only 8. More. Days.

And after all, isn't this what being an adult is about? Doing things that I know are good for my health, even though it kind of sucks in the interim; exercising self-control when all I want is to dive into a bowl of queso; saying "I'll just have a water" when I know that amazing pinot noir is waiting for me behind the bar.**

Can you tell I'm missing all my favorite things?

But then I went to a new restaurant and had drinks (water) with some great friends, and I think I was just missing some girl time. The support of friends should never be underestimated when you're going through something like this.

Here are some of my favorite things I've been eating. None of the recipes are original, though I often make adjustments when it comes to spices. I can't get enough oregano lately.

Is there anything better than guacamole?

Besides pesto, that is.

Hamburger with a sweet potato "bun." I added grilled mushrooms and onions and some arugula. Yummy!

Some spicy chicken sausage with potatoes on a bed of lettuce. I drizzled olive oil over top. Love

**I apologize if anyone is thinking about doing Whole30 and this post completely put you off. It really is amazing and will very likely change your life and the way you look at food. Plus you get to eat pesto. Check it out if you want some other inspiration besides my ramblings.

This month is going to be cray

And by cray I mean completely not cray because I'm doing Whole30. I know, I'm shocked too. I'm on Day 2 of my month of no sugar, no bread, no cheese, no creamer in my coffee, no wine (gasp!), and no french fries. I may die.

On the other hand, I get to eat things like fresh fruit and veggies, lots of spices, sweet potatoes, eggs, and these almonds that I love. I wanted to plan something after New York because I tend to fall into really bad habits when I am home. I will usually pay little attention to what I eat, drink several glasses of wine a night and watch TV (lately Game of Thrones, another post on that later) until the wee hours in the morning. Not very healthy or productive. So I'm really looking forward to the change up. My mom is doing it with me, so I'll have a partner and it'll make it easier, I hope.

I know the hardest thing for me is going to be to not snack while I'm at work. At any given time at the store we have no less than three containers of peanuts of varying sizes and flavors. Well, apparently peanuts promote inflammation. So I've been taking shots of honey roasted peanuts thinking they are a "healthier" option. Turns out, they're not.

Le sigh.

Anyway, here we go. If anyone has any tips or recipes, feel free to leave them here. I'll keep you updated on my progress. If my next post is as angsty as a teenage girl, I apologize, but I'm probably just in the hangry stage.