Whole30: DAY 30!!!!!

My final day is here!!!!

I can hardly believe that the past 30 days have come and gone, and that Hubster and I are headed to the tropics in just TWO days time!!! 

Overall, I have to say this: Whole30 rocked. my. socks. 

It sounded intimidating and tough at the outset, but now that I am at the end, I have discovered several awesome truths about my life through this process. And I can honestly and whole-heartedly recommend the Whole30 to anyone wanting to take a hard look at their nutritional habits and health. 

Here are some of my deep (and not-so-deep) thoughts about my Whole30: 

1. Sugar is EVERYWHERE. And I used to eat more than I needed to. Seriously, it's everywhere, lurking in foods and products that are often labeled with nefarious things like "no sugar added." Pickles, spices, olives, canned food, drinks...to name just a few. But the Whole30 not only caused me to be aware of this in a BIG way, it's also killed my inner Sugar Dragon. Okay...maybe not killed. Forced into hibernation, how's that? I don't have the sugar cravings that I once was plagued with, and that feels pretty stinkin' awesome. 
2. I have better self-control than I thought I did. When I began Whole30, I expected to struggle more with wanting things I couldn't have. But honestly, once I committed to taking the plunge and made a plan (Emphasis added because this is the KEY to success. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. For real), I was all in. Like the Whole30 literature says, it really isn't that hard. It is, but keeping life in perspective is important, and as they point out, things like giving birth or losing loved ones are WAY more difficult than having a cup of coffee in the morning with no milk or sugar. The trick really is to be prepared so you are not caught in the candy aisle at Walmart when you haven't eaten for 4 hours, you're having cramps, and there's no compliant snack in your bag...
3. My tastes have changed. I don't feel cheated by drinking plain iced tea anymore. Not to say that I won't be looking forward to some coconut palm sugar or honey in my tea tomorrow, but I can easily pass over sugary drinks for a water or a plain iced tea without feeling pangs of self-denial. 
4. I have SO MUCH MORE ENERGY. This has blown me away! I am naturally an introvert, so lots of time around people or really harried schedules tend to cause me to struggle with my energy levels. Since I am a teacher, this is an issue for me. Hubster has often times teased me about becoming a hermit, because during the school year, I could stay home ALL WEEKEND and be perfectly contented not to talk to a soul aside from him. But the Whole30 has changed my energy levels, and that rocks! I spent my week in Laramie running at a breakneck pace, and after the first day, I fully expected to feel cranky over my early morning and late night days. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was okay. Better than okay, really--I was totally on it! My body has become more efficient at using the fuel I give it, and I am not experiencing the sugar/carb highs that are accompanied by the afternoon crash/fog/coma. 
5. I've lost weight (HOORAY!!!!!). Now, let me caveat this statement: I have not weighed myself since the day before Day 1, but my clothes and the mirror definitely say that some poundage has changed. I am not one to obsess about the numbers on the scale, but I am one to obsess about how I feel, and I have felt not-so-great since a hormone shot I was given in the course of fertility stuff. I packed an extra 20 pounds on in the three months after that shot, and that 20 pounds decided to stay. So for the past year and a half, I have been unable to lose that weight, despite diet changes, exercise, anything! Talk about frustrating...But my nurse practitioner suggested that the hormone shot had actually slowed my metabolism down, so the Whole30 was a logical choice to help my body reset my metabolism. SUCCESS!!!! 
6. I have learned a whole slew of new cooking techniques and acquired all kinds of new, delicious recipes that I love. As I am lactose-intolerant, so many Whole30 recipes are already up my alley because they use coconut cream and milk for everything. I love the rich protein of the dishes, and so many can be easily modified by adding rice or pasta if you want some "normal" food added in there. I loved garnering new skills and recipes to add to my repertoire. 
7. As I often tell my students, most things in life worth having or doing (marriage, children, jobs, hobbies, etc.) require work. And healthy eating is no different. You have to put the work in and sometimes make the sacrifices for the good of yourself and your body. It's not always fun, it ain't always pretty, but it is the way it works. In our impatient, instant-gratification society, this is a hard concept to grasp (and sometimes tough to explain to people) but it is ultimately the best way to accomplish real and lasting change. 
8. I am planning to continue on a Whole30-ish kind of diet from now on. Everyone keeps asking what I am going to have first tomorrow (probably some sugar or honey in my tea, in all reality), but I can honestly say that I am not just dying to EAT. ALL. THE. THINGS. I am excited to head off on this vacay and eat some great food and drink some delicious beverages, but I'm not planning to binge on...anything really. I love the way I feel on this diet, and while it's...inconvenient sometimes, I want to hang on to this awesome feeling. So I plan to keep on this way, adding small things back, like the luxury of eating a snack from the gas station, or eating at a restaurant without overthinking the dressing. Despite the way I love food, I love this feeling I have even more, and if these eating habits are the ones to help me feel this way, I am all over it. 
9. I LOVE ALMOND BUTTER, CASHEW QUESO, FREEZE DRIED FRUIT, AND WATERMELON. Seriously. I didn't know these things before Whole30. But I am so glad that I know it now. Oh, AND: Okay, this is not a revelation for plenty of people, but it is for me: Balsamic Vinegar and Light Olive Oil are my new favorite salad dressing. For real. 
10. I am of the opinion that you could potentially rename Whole30 into WholeAvacado...

That's my wisdom for now :-) I will be updating on the before and after weights soon! 

Anyone else been working the Whole30? Thoughts or ideas? 

Cheers, 

R-Lib