Lessons Learned

A little back story.

I hope this post does not offend anyone, but if it does, I’m sorry, not at all my intentions.

So I grew up skinny, like toothpick skinny. I never struggled with weight until my early twenties. & I’m sure people will say “struggle”…psh what is she talking about. Well for me, it was hard. So hard, to see my body slowly disappear from what it once was. When you go most of your life eating whatever you want, whenever you want, and remaining thin and “in-shape”, it’s a hard transition to make.

On top of gaining weight, I felt awful, All. The. Time. Sugar highs, then crashes, headaches, bloating, you name it. My body was finally YELLING, you can’t keep eating this way. But reversing 23 years of bad eating habits seemed to be an insurmountable task that I was deathly afraid to attempt. See, that’s another thing. FAILURE, something I've always struggled with. & I didn't want to be that girl to make lofty goals and promises only to fall flat on my face in failure. So I continued living and eating the only way I knew how. And then one day, I had enough. It was like I finally hit rock bottom. I was so fed up with myself that I was finally ready to attempt what seemed to be an insurmountable mountain. I heard about Whole 30 from social media and friends and it stuck with me. What attracted me the most was that it was not a counting calories, measuring every meal type of thing. I just had to watch what I was eating, not necessarily how much of it I was consuming. Yes, they do strongly suggest no snacking and only 3 hearty meals a day, and I have stuck to that primarily, but if I’m hungry and I want to eat an apple, I’m going to eat an apple.

So here I am 19 days in, and fitting into jeans I haven’t been able to wear in years. It’s an indescribable feeling. Really, even though I haven’t lost a huge amount of weight, to be able to feel confident and happy again, is just the best. And I still eat, a lot, every day. I just eat different things than what I used to. And I can assure you, feeling this good and being able to wear jeans I haven’t worn in years, is so much more rewarding than a bowl of ice cream or any kind of sugar you can throw my way. That’s a HUGE statement for this girl, who used to eat mounds of sugar and candy every single day. If I bought a large bag of candy, it would be gone in an hour or so. If there were a box of donuts, I would eat at least 3 at one time. If we had ice cream, I would eat straight out of the container. I had zero self-control. I honestly can’t believe I've been 19 days without a Red Bull, any kind of candy, ice cream or dessert. The best part? I don’t even miss it! Life without all of that junk is pretty darn amazing!

The biggest thing I learned along the way? How much emotional tie I had towards food. My perspective was so skewed. Instead of realizing that food is designed to fuel my body to perform at its best, I looked at it as a way to indulge and get a momentary high from the taste. Before Whole 30 I couldn't imagine a life without candy and sweets. That’s a pretty extreme statement to make, but I believed it. I lived the lie that my life would be all things miserable if I had to ‘restrict’ what I was eating. Now, on day 19, I view things so differently. I see all that I CAN still eat, and realize what freedom I have now. It’s very similar to living life as a Christian. God calls us to say no to a lot of things, and some would say that is restrictive. But we know walking with Christ is where true freedom is found. The same can apply to food, when you say yes to everything and over indulge, you may feel as though you are living in freedom but in reality, you’re not. Just as God calls us to say no to things out of love and protection for us, saying no to certain foods is a way to show love and protection to our body. After all, isn’t our body supposed to be the temple of the Holy Spirit?

I hope this encourages someone. Maybe you were like me…addicted to sugar and all things sweet. Maybe you have never been on a diet or any type of restrictive eating plan (that was also me). Whatever your circumstances, my best advice would be to take it one day at a time. Focus on the present day and what you can do right now, not tomorrow or next week.

Some practical tips for starting Whole 30:

·        Clean out your entire house, pantry, fridge, cabinets, get rid of EVERYTHING that is not Whole 30 approved. That way, you have zero temptation at home

·        Meal Plan, a week at a time if possible, that way there is no guessing game on what you are going to have

·        Buy more food than you think you will need, again, helping to prevent running out and being in a bind when you are hungry

·        Always eat before you go out, that way you never end up somewhere hungry with no Whole 30 approved food in sight

·        Learn to accept and eat the same kind of things, yes it may get redundant, but now is the time to learn to appreciate that food is meant to FUEL your body not make you HAPPY

·        Google, Pinterest, www.whole30.com will all become your best friend! There are so many great recipes, tips & tricks out there, do your research and find what works best for you!

Before & After only 19 days in