I’m not joking when I say that the Whole30 changed my life. I’ve not felt nauseous or light headed in 30 days. I’ve not needed a Tums to “settle things down” in 30 days. I’ve not had that afternoon slump where all you can think about is taking a little nap.  I’ve started to enjoy cooking, learning new recipes, finding faster ways to get things done, and savoring every morsel I put into my body. I enjoy feeling satiated between meals and not needing to snack. My mind is clear, my skin is getting better, and I sleep like a rock.

The bigger picture…I’m happy.

Here are just a few things I learned from Whole30:

1. Only I decide the amount of control food has over me.  Going in to the Whole30, I thought there was never ever any way that I could live without bread and cheese. I’m glad I was wrong.
2. New foods are not going to kill me.  I found that I love avocados and sweet potatoes.
3. Spices are your friend.  I can not remember the last time I ever used so many spices and in a variety of ways.  Chili powder on sweet potatoes…yes please!
4. I can eat 15 eggs in one day and I’m not going to die.  Fuck that bullshit about eggs and cholesterol.  Enjoy the damn yolk.
5. Holy crap, SUGAR IS IN EVERYTHING!  It’s sickening and sad.
6. There are insects in your fruit juice and other stuff too. Maybe I’m late to learning this, but it’s good to read labels.
7. The grocery store is not made for healthy choices.  Shop only the outer aisles and skip everything else in between.
8. I actually have the willpower and determination to make a huge change in my life.
9. Counting calories, fat grams, points or meticulously writing down everything I eat only reinforces guilt and is the opposite of healthy for me.  Having not done this for the past 30 days has been the most liberating thing about this entire experience.
10. Giving my body healthy nutritious and delicious food equates to feeling good, having more energy, sleeping better and being happier.
11. I’ve always known that I am a stress eater.  But I learned that when being satiated after each meal, I have no desire to mindlessly eat anything between meals, stressed or not.
12. I’m worth the time it takes to prep foods, prepare meals, and go food shopping.
13. The scale still  has too much power. I will break up with it.
14. Everything we do is a choice.  I can choose to eat chocolate cake. I can choose to eat cauliflower. I’m a good person and sometimes I’ll make bad choices which will lead to certain consequences.
15. Cauliflower is RIDICULOUS!  You can make rice, mash, roasted, puree, soup…we go through at least 3 cauliflowers a week.
16. Fat is not my enemy. Healthy fats make you feel satiated and in turn, there’s no need to snack between meals. Who woulda?
17. Taste buds change.  The fruit I used to think needed some sugar sprinkled on top, is plenty sweet all on it’s own.
18. I have never, in 35+ years felt more in control of my life, my body, my mind.

The Numbers

I’m still working on not caring about the scale (see #13 above). Since I still do care, I weighed in this morning and have lost a total of 25 pounds.  In addition, I’ve lost a combined total of 21.5 inches (mainly in the waist and hips).