Whole30: [Belated] Wrap-Up

No, I have not fallen off the face of the planet. Yes, the Whole30 is officially done and I have some looking back to do.

Before I start, if your jury is still out on whether or not to try the Whole30, let me encourage you to give it a shot. Everyone I know who has tried it has loved the results. (Including me!) I fully recommend it, not only for the weight loss, but for the healthy, cleansing factor. Doing something good for your body is always a good idea.

Personally, I noticed several changes. First, my sleep was better, deeper (REM every night and I knew it because I had tons of lucid dreams), and very "regular." I would (and still do) get tired around the same time each night, and wake up about the same time each morning (generally without my alarm).

Second, I felt healthier, thanks to cutting out tons of bad foods and empty sugars. That translated to overall physical health for the duration of the Whole30 (minus the very end when I caught a slight cold), and no food-related sickness. I used to get fairly regular stomach aches from certain foods I ate. That never happened on the Whole30.

I also had no trouble transitioning back into the gym with strong workouts. I mostly ran and did weight training. Because of the regular weight training, I didn't expect to lose much weight since, as we all know, muscle weighs more than fat.

The day following the conclusion of the Whole30, Nick and I participated in our first-ever race, a local 4-mile. We didn't run the entire distance, but we were happy with our finishing time and are planning to participate in another 5K in March.

All ready for the B-rrry Scurry!

Anyway, other benefits I noticed were clearing skin, stronger hair (I am assuming this is related to my vitamin D levels; I used to lose a lot of hair each day), lack of general aches and pains, and regularity when it came to going to the bathroom. (TMI, I know, I tried to phrase it nicely. :P)

I lost about seven pounds, which I thought was good considering the weight training, and I also lost about seven inches total from various parts of my body that I measured before and after the Whole30.

From here, my plan is to continue to use the Whole30 as a base and guide for what I should be eating--more fresh fruits and veggies, meats, and less sugar, grains and processed foods. I have also decided to cut out all soft drinks at least until I get married, if not beyond. The Whole30 helped me get off them, and so far I've found it easy to stay off them. I'm also choosing tea with fresh fruit as a sweetener over coffee most days. In these ways I hope to continue cutting out excess sugars.

If you have any questions about the Whole30, comments or input, I welcome your feedback!