I Survived a Whole 30 - and I'm Doing It Again! Plus: My Top Whole30 Tips!

Even a quick glance around the internet will get you hundreds of thousands of results for "Whole30."

What is it? 

From the website:

So basically, it's a reset for both nutrition and the relationships you have with food/your body. It's sort of related to the Paleo diet, but with a few more restrictions. 

No:

Grains

Dairy

Added Sugar - real or artificial

Legumes

Carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites

Recreating or buying junk food made with "approved" ingredients - so no Paleo muffins and the like

Alcohol

Soda

Weighing yourself or taking measurements for 30 days

YES!

Meat - even bacon if it isn't cured with sugar!

Any vegetable that isn't a legume - including potatoes!

Eggs

Fruit and fruit juice

Basically all nuts except peanuts (which are a legume)

Any spice that doesn't have any of the above no's

Coconut - milk, flakes, oil, and flour

Water

Coffee

Tea

AND A MILLION MORE THINGS!

Everyone hears "no dairy, grains, booze, or sugar" and thinks I can't eat anything. But that's just not true - I've been eating A LOT of amazing food!

Strawberries, banana, Justin's Almond Butter.  

Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, Potatoes, and Lemon

Sweet and Spicy Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash with Apples

Surf and Turf Steak and Shrimp with Roasted Asparagus

Lamb Lollipops with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans - my own recipe!

Salad with Chicken, Onion, and Tessemae's Ranch

Fried Eggs Over Roasted Potatoes with Bacon, Fruit, and Almond Butter

Cheeseless Chicken Parm over Zoodles

So I'm clearly not starving. 

And honestly, I've never felt better in my whole life. 

I've always been a little heavy, and an emotional eater, and while I still want to lose some weight, and I definitely still have feelings about food, I've never felt so in control of my own mind and body. 

Plus, in just 30 days:

I completely got rid of my dandruff

My skin cleared up

My eyes got brighter

The circles under my eyes disappeared

My gums are healthier

My allergies are so much better

My anxiety has been reduced significantly

My clothes fit better

And I lost 18lbs

Here's a before and after, where the results are pretty clear - same time of day, same lighting, same office:

But also, I just *feel* better. Was it hard? Sort of - I really missed pasta. But then I had some pasta and it was fine, but I realized what I actually missed was the emotional comfort/ease of making pasta. I still like it. I'll still eat it. But I don't have real feelings about it anymore. 

Most importantly, I decided to do Whole30 again! I'm on my second round, day nine today, and I feel just as amazing as I did the first time.

I've made list of my top 8 Whole30 tips below!