whole30

My body has become my temple. It's been a little over year that I went through a cleanse and completely put the needs of my body before the wants of my mind. Even before coming to terms with how my body truly works I didn't eat that unhealthy. Sure, I had some bad habits like ate chips every once in a while and did drink soda but no fast food and my cooking wasn't horrible. My problem was how much I ate and the things I ate. I realized that carbs were my downfall. Once I cut that out and opened my mind to better choices that catered to my body I shed pounds easier than I have every in my life and now I'm smaller than my high school self! 

Even thought at that time all my changes were made because I was in hopes to loose weight, those changes have stuck around. The weight loss was totally amazing but at the same time the way I felt physically and mentally pretty much trumped that 30 pounds that I lost. I felt better about myself. Of course my confidence about my body image went way up. I could wear clothes that I never felt comfortable in or fit it for that matter. Not to mention, my complexion has gone from teenage dirtbag (baby) to smooth as a babies butt! I'll take it. Oh and my energy level sky rocketed. A++!

Now ever since the weight loss I've kept my diet the same. I watch the amount of carbs I eat, really choose wisely when I go shopping, meal plan, no junk food, haven't drank soda for almost two years and overall feel great. Because of the holidays I indulged in more sugars then usual and more carbs than usual, I mean, who doesn't. I told myself that I would allow myself to eat those cookies I baked and smother my face with bread rather than pass it up at the dinner table. I was okay with it but now that the new year is here I feel ready to focus back to the health of my body. 

I think I first saw the mention of the Whole30 program on my Instagram. It quickly grabbed my attention and I set out to do some research. I love that it's a program verse a "diet." I hate that word and honestly, I don't need a diet. What I need is exactly that, a program that encourages healthy chooses. What is Whole30? Basically, it's restoring your body by eating whole foods and cutting out food groups that can be having a negative effect. 

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Essentially, you can eat meat, seafood, eggs, veggies and fruits. All good things. And you can't eat grains, sugars, dairy, legumes and alcohol. While I won't have any problem with alcohol because I don't drink, I will however have a very difficult time with dairy. Cheeeeeese! You will be missed. Oh and beans. Ugh. It sucks to think about not being able to have any of those things but it's also empowering. I love a challenge. It's only 30 days and I believe that after those 30 days I will be "cleansed," which is what I'm looking for. The nice thing about Whole30 is that it's not about loosing weight. Sure, so many people that I've seen who start the program end up shedding pounds but the program itself says not to step on the scale. It's all about restoring my body to where I want it to be, feeling good and stay healthy. That's all it should ever be about.

I encourage everyone to make healthy choses and believe that there is always ways to better yourself! Have any of you done Whole30 or the Paleo diet? I'm excited for the journey and hope to share it here with you all.

Resources:
Whole30
Program Rules
Blogs I find helpful: 1. 2. 3.