Life After Whole30 (+ My 3 Biggest Takeaways)

Life after Whole30 is weird.

It's actually kind of ruined my life. But in a really wholesome kind of way. Because the Whole30 discipline is such a healthy way to approach food and fitness and overall health, and it holds a really high standard for what should be put in our bodies. It was so so hard when I was in the midst of the 30 days of no sugar, no bread, no alcohol, constant meal prep and kitchen cleaning and ugh - I felt like the days went by so slowly. And I felt like this way of eating was just so enormously time-consuming and not realistic for our day and age. So many times, I remember feeling sorry for the pioneer women. Because I had the realization that this was their life - cooking and cleaning up for their families. Preparing everything from scratch. Dirtying practically every dish in their pantry and then having to clean every dish - over and over and over again. It felt monotonous. It felt archaic. It felt like sacrifice. It felt like a crap-ton of work. And life is already work. So yeah, I had some low moments, in the midst of Whole30. And that doesn't even include the mood swings from detoxing from all the sugar and caffeine and happy breads.

But this strange thing was happening during all the whining and complaining and headaches and longing for sweets and wines and sweet wines. I was starting to feel a surprising amount of goodness. I was sleeping hard. I was waking up early, with no grogginess. My workouts were strong. My mind was clear. I just felt an intense amount of clarity, like the chaos in my mind was being detoxed along with with the unhealthy foods. So as much as I hated the meal prep, I was starting to really love the feeling of wholeness.

My biggest, most positive takeaways from my Whole30 experience:

1. I think about what I put in my mouth.
Whole30 taught me to read the labels on my food products. Instead of grabbing something because it says "organic" or "all-natural" and thinking that meant it was the healthiest choice, Whole30 taught me to read the labels and decipher the ingredients. There are so many sneaky sugars, preservatives, emulsifiers and chemicals that are in normal, everyday foods. You might think that sounds like propaganda - it's not. Do your research. Don't trust me for a minute - do your own research. The findings are pretty appalling. And once you learn something - you can't unlearn it. And that's what happened to me. Once I understood what soy lecithin and carrageenan actually are, I was much more motivated to find items that simply don't have those ingredients in them. And healthier options do exist, it just takes a little time to find them. The first time I went to the grocery store with a Whole30 list in hand, it took me over two hours to get out of the store. And no, I didn't have my toddler with me. It is just so time-consuming, reading every ingredient on every label of every item. It was exhausting. But now that I've done that work, I simply revisit those same items in the store, and my grocery trip are under 30 minutes now. So even though the process was time-consuming and overwhelming, it paid off with healthier choices that I am able to continuously make, now that I know my options.

2. I realize that everything is way too sweet.
My taste buds had been warped. And I'm going to be bold enough to suggest that yours are probably warped, too. Don't take it personal. It's not really our fault. It's been a slow process of eating "normal food" our entire lives and not knowing what is in it. Our taste buds have been warped because everything has so much sugar in it - like everything. Ketchup, crackers, barbecue sauce, lunch meat, bread, etc. And that's not even the stuff that we know has sugar in it, like cereal and alcohol. And then there's the obvious good stuff, like brownies and ice cream, duh. But I tell you what - after going 30 days without any sugar, and then coming back to it? Everything tastes annoying sweet. Like, obnoxiously, brazenly, almost insultingly sweet. Starbucks lattes? Too sweet. Chocolate chip cookies? Wayyy too sweet. Jeni's ice cream? I couldn't even finish it. I know, you probably want to ban me from your life right about now. If you haven't already stopped reading this post. But I never said that this blog would tickle your ears all the time. I can't help it you guys. I really can't. The truth was glaring me in tongue.

3. I'm discovering how to make healthier meals.
Look, you are probably cooking most days. I know I am. But learning some healthier techniques/recipes/ingredient swaps has been one of the most revolutionary takeaways for me. Because I'm cooking for my family every day, no matter what. We have to eat! And learning that I can spend the same amount of time prepping a meal but ensuring that it is incredibly healthy, made with whole foods (not preservative-laden substitutes) and brimming with irresistible flavor has been such a welcome revelation. These Whole30 meals do not taste like cardboard. It's actually the opposite. They taste better than most meals. In the beginning of the experiment, i definitely craved chocolate after dinner and wanted to throw some Parmesan cheese on top of my spaghetti squash spaghetti. But those desires have diminished significantly. And I feel empowered with some new recipes that are extremely delicious and nourishing. WIN.

There you have it, some of my biggest takeaways from the Whole30 experiment. Since ending Whole30 and eating "normal" again, nothing is really normal. I can't help but think about the health impact of everything I put into my mouth. It's definitely changed my way of approaching food, and I am still in the process of striking the right balance for my family that feels manageable (like, not annoying and high-maintenance) but also with a standard of health excellence. I want to set my son up for a lifetime of wellness, but I also want him to be able to eat a cookie with absolutely no guilt. It's a process, and I am still figuring it out. I'm compiling a shopping list and a slew of great recipes that I would recommend and will be making that available to blog subscribers soon. Let me know in the comments section if something like that would interest you!

If you would like to learn more about my Whole30 experiment, you can read about why I decided to try it. Also, check out my weekly diaries - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. Happy discoveries to you!

Lets Talk About Dreams.

Dreams deferred.

dashed.

achieved.

unfulfilled.

cut short.

Dreams achieved, only to realize that the hope of the dream was more fun than the result.

Dreams lost.

forgotten.

Lack of a dream.

Reemergence of a dream.

In the midst of a dream.

Will the dream ever come true?

Am I enough? Have my mistakes held me back? Has my fear gotten in the way? Surely I don't have enough skills/money/talent/drive/discipline/connections to make that dream a reality... right?

Wrong?

Wrong. I think you're wrong.

I think your dream is beautiful and you need to make your dream come true.

Listen, I don't know what you're dreaming about today. You might not even think that you have dreams anymore. But I'll bet money that somewhere, deep in your heart, buried in your gut, hiding out on a dusty shelf in your mind, there is a dream. Pulsing. Waiting. Waiting for you to acknowledge it. Waiting for you to receive it and hug it and give it all your attention.

I bet you're scared.

That's okay. The good dreams usually ignite a healthy kind of fear. Don't think about that too much. Just do it. Figure out the first step. Make a plan. Read a book. Talk to a mentor. Figure out a way to get the dream out of your head and into your hands. Because it's time.

It's time for your dream to come true.

You might think this is a lot of big talk coming from me. But I feel so passionate about making dreams a reality, both yours and mine, because I have taken a lot of risks over the years. I've tried to make my dreams a reality. Some of them have become a reality. Some of them haven't. Some of them have felt like failures. And some dreams have surprised me by sneaking up from behind and then coming true in the most unpredictable kind of way. I can't wait to share more with you over the next several weeks. I am a little scared to share my failures with you. But I'm more scared NOT to. Because if my journey can help someone, who am I to stand in the way? I'm going to get out of the way, so that I can get in your way. And tell you how amazing your dreams are. :) Are you ready?

My Whole30 Diary. Part 4.

This was the final push - the 4th and final week of my Whole30 experience. You can read about why I'm doing Whole30 here.

Day 22.
I went into this week knowing it was going to be a big one. Really busy with writing stuff and really busy with mommy stuff, because Stevie was going to be out of town for the week. There was also an emotional component of losing my Whole30 buddy, because I gave him my blessing to stop eating Whole30 before his trip. This was the beginning of a slew of business trips he was going on, and we didn't really want him to be put in a position where he's the awkward guy on the team not eating anything normal because of his "diet". He didn't want to be that guy, and I really didn't want that for him either. So he prepared to break the Whole30 commitment a little early, but still eat super clean until I was finished. All that being said, I went into this week with lots of feelings...

Breakfast: Quick egg scramble. Black Coffee.
Lunch: Chicken salad with Greek toppings (kalamata olives, marinated artichokes, sundried tomatoes and sliced avocado).
Dinner: Leftover Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti.

Day 23.
Breakfast: Egg scramble with random veggies thrown in. 1/2 grapefruit and black coffee.
Lunch: Chicken salad with Greek toppings.
Dinner: Pulled beef with homemade ranch dressing (recipe in the Whole30 book), kale chips, cauliflower mango rice, and 1/2 sweet potato.

My sister came over and had dinner with me, so I wasn't such a lonely lame eater. Also, I resumed rewatching Gossip Girl. Because I was missing New York and Stevie was having slamming amounts of fun somewhere without me and I just needed a little indulgence.

Yeah, I was pouting a little. But the sweet potato tasted like pie and that was the jam!

Day 24.
Breakfast: Frittata with diced onion, tomato, chicken sausage and spinach. Hot tea.
Lunch: Chicken salad with Greek toppings. (You might get bored doing this same lunch everyday, but I finally found one that I love so I just kept making it :)
Dinner: Sweet potato and kale chips.

I'm telling you. The breakfast frittatas are delectable.

Day 25.
Breakfast: Frittata, sliced apples and hot tea.
Lunch: Mexican salad (ground beef, salsa and avocado on a bed of spinach, drizzled with homemade ranch dressing).
Dinner: Pulled beef, cauliflower-mango rice, sweet potato, kale chips.

As real food continued to taste better and better during the course of Whole30, cauliflower tasted increasingly worse. It's probably because it's a broccoli cousin. I kept trying to cook with it (like in the above cauliflower-mango rice) but I just kept hating it more and more. Ugh. So cauliflower-y.

Day 26.
Breakfast: Egg scramble and 1/2 grapefruit. Black coffee.
Lunch: Chicken salad with Greek toppings.
Dinner: Baked salmon with lemon-herb mayo, sweet potato, steamed kale.

Again, I was eating so many sweet potatoes because PIE. They tasted like pieeeee.

Day 27.
Breakfast: Egg scramble, sliced plantains pan-fried in coconut oil and dusted with cinnamon. Black coffee.
Lunch: Leftover salmon with homemade cream dressing, capers, olives, diced cucumber, sundried tomatoes and avocado.
Dinner: My homemade Grandma Soup (no noodles, but add diced red potatoes).

Dressing up my usual lunchtime salad with leftover salmon instead of chicken was so fancy. It tasted SO GOOD. I loved the leftover salmon times. As much as I could love anything, with all the lack of chocolate in my world.

Also, salmon felt fancy and celebratory because Stevie was home for two days before resuming more travel. We partied so hard. With our sparkly water and early bedtimes and church in the morning. Are you getting the sense for our wild life? Like the JUNGLE.

Day 28.
Breakfast: Church day, so this was an early, busy one. Breakfast was a banana and a Lara Bar. I hunted for coffee in our new church location until I found it. And then I had a lot of it.
Lunch: Grandma Soup!
Dinner: Don't judge. Stevie was out of town, so I had soup again for dinner. Hallelujah for not having to cook again. Good times had by all. But mostly by Everett. Because he was blissfully eating waffles every single day.

Day 29.
Breakfast: 2 fried eggs and 1/2 grapefruit.
Lunch: Chicken salad with Greek toppings.
Snack: Lara Bar. My favorites are blueberry and key lime :)
Dinner: Leftover pulled beef and a sweet potato.

I honestly wasn't feeling pouty about food at this point. It was all sort of routine and not heartbreaking anymore. Because I got to have my sweet potato, so I was pretty good with life.

I know what you're thinking. WEIRDO. Well I would have to agree with you.

Day 30.
Breakfast: 2-egg scramble with diced tomato, chicken sausage and spinach.
Snack: Clover coffee at Starbucks and 1/2 bag of dried apple crisps. The clover was my treat to myself for being such a GOOD GIRL for thirty days.
Lunch: Chicken salad with Greek toppings. Hot tea (Trader Joes Harvest Herbal Tea!)
Dinner: Grandma Soup (minus the noodles, add diced red tomatoes) and some pineapple.

Overall Recap:
Honestly, this last week wasn't hard. It was challenging in other ways - I felt extremely busy and didn't have time to really pine away for treats. I finally had my cooking/meal prep routine down, and I needed to be in autopilot in order to keep our lives running smoothly while single-parenting it with my husband out of town. So those emotional and time-management components were challenging - but the Whole30 had become an almost fond way of living.

"Almost" is the key word in that phrase.

I still obviously was excited to have wine and chocolate and, you know, breaded stuff.

In fact, I was anticipating the end of this Whole30 experiment with glee.

And, my friends, it ended. With glee. More on that next week!

P.S. Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of my Whole30 diary :)

My Whole30 Diary. Part 3.

This is it! Week three of my Whole30 experience! You can read about why I'm doing Whole30 here.

Day 15.
Breakfast: Egg scramble. Coffee. Half a grapefruit.
Lunch: Salad with Greek toppings. Sliced apple.
Dinner: Leftover pulled beef with green onion and homemade ranch dressing. Coconut cauliflower rice.

The cauliflower rice left much to be desired. It was NOT GOOD. On the hunt for a better recipe.

I am a little bit sick of my Greek salads everyday. But I've got all the ingredients so it's easiest (and most budget-friendly!) to just keep making them.

Day 16.
Breakfast: Frittata. Coffee. Half a grapefruit.
Lunch: Salad with Greek toppings.
Snack: Cherry Larabar.
Dinner: Stir fry with onions, green, yellow and red peppers, chicken sausage and red potatoes.

Oh my. This dinner was THE JAM. Who would have known that such an easy dinner would be so delicious? Definitely putting this one on my list to make again. In like two days. Because seriously, I've been slaving away in the kitchen for weeks and this dinner meal was much simpler and quicker than usual. Praise report.

Day 17.
Breakfast: Frittata made with last night's leftover onions, peppers, sausage and potatoes. Coffee. Grapefruit.
Snack: Apple with almond butter.
Lunch: Chicken salad with Greek toppings.
Dinner: Baked chicken with homemade pesto and kale chips.

I JUST WANT TOAST. GIVE ME TOAST.

I thought I was getting on board with the Whole30 today. Then I got a hankering for toast that ailed my soul and left me wanting. And wanting. And WANTING.

Day 18.
Breakfast: Frittata with onions, mushrooms, spinach and chicken sausage.
Lunch: I honestly can't remember. But I'll bet it was salad!
Dinner: DINNER OUT! FINALLY!

For our date night out, Stevie and I split the perfect order: The skinny dip bison burger from Ted's Montana Grill with no bun, and a side of mustard, avocado and tomato. Oh, and a sweet potato with literally nothing on it. It still tasted like pie though. And the Big Sky salad with salmon and bacon, hard boiled egg, tomato, avocado and red wine vinegar.

I just want to say it. We should have eaten out so much sooner. I had prepared every single meal from scratch for 18 days in a row, and I was so burned out. I didn't think we could eat out anywhere, but after talking to a few Whole30 veterans (who shared their Ted's orders), I felt confident we could make it happen. And it was the best night I've had in, I don't know, 18 nights! It just felt SO GOOD to not have to clean up the kitchen.

Plus, we got coffee and tea at Starbucks afterwards, walked around, browsed the William-Sonoma clearance sale and Stevie secretly bought me the waffle maker I've been wanting for months! We were walking out of the store and the lady slyly slipped a bag into his hand, along with his credit card. He was like, "It was the last one left in your color." That man. Such a good man. My whole kitchen is red (well, all my appliances are red), so it wouldn't have been a big deal to get a normal one, but he made sure I got that red waffle maker :)

It's technically a gift for Everett, since he begs for waffles every morning. We are letting him open it for Valentines Day. Unless we cave and he opens it sooner.

Basically? Best date ever. Also? Cheapest date ever. No dessert and no alcohol? I was amazed at our bill. Take that, sugar and booze! (Don't worry, I still miss those things)

Day 19.
Breakfast: Frittata. Hot Tea.
Lunch: Chicken salad with random vegetables.
Dinner: Mexican taco salad with ground beef, spinach, salsa, guacamole and homemade ranch dressing.

Again, this was a GOOD dinner. A surprising one. I love making traditional taco salads, so I figured this would suck in comparison, but alas, I judged too quickly. The addition of the ranch dressing added just the right kick and it was one of those meals where we both went back for seconds.

Day 20.
Breakfast: We hosted brunch at our house with some friends. We made them "normal" food (including biscuits, quiche, and fruit salad), and for ourselves, we made a frittata (I know, you're shocked) with mushrooms, onions, and chicken sausage. Coffee and juice all around.
Lunch: Breakfast was kind of for lunch, you know?
Snack: Apples.
Dinner: Crockpot pulled beef with green onions and homemade ranch dressing.

Day 21.
Breakfast: Quick egg scramble. Fruit to go.
Lunch: Tuna salad on top of a spinach salad. Assorted veggies.
Dinner: Leftover crockpot pulled beef. Because it's SO GOOD. I kind of wish it was a bottomless crockpot.

Overall Recap:
There is no more anger. There is just a general sullenness about how much work it is for me to prepare healthy meals every 3-4 hours.

I still get tired from time to time, but I do feel a sustained amount of energy during times where I would usually crash.

I am able to wake up quickly, completely clear-minded, without that foggy, grogginess. I guess that could be attributed to this Whole30 gig.

I can tell a difference in my physical body that I haven't been eating sugar or drinking alcohol, because my clothes are fitting more loosely. This makes me realize that there is no quick fix to actually losing weight and getting toned - it's just a matter of doing the work. I have no idea if I've actually lost weight though, because I haven't weighed myself. That wasn't my #1 goal in doing this, either. It's just a perk.

Unfortunately, seeing my skin clear up was one of my top goals, and I don't feel like I've seen major improvement in that department. I'll keep hoping.

Am I glad I'm doing this? Yes. I am gratefully annoyed.

Anyone doing Whole30 want to chime in? How's it going for you?

P.S. Part 1 and Part 2 of my Whole30 diary, in case you're interested!

My Whole30 Diary. Part 2.

This is the continued documentation of my Whole30 experience. You can read about why I'm doing Whole30 here.

Day 8.
Breakfast: Omelet. Coffee. Fruit.
Lunch: Chicken Salad, greek style.
Dinner: Salmon cakes, roasted red pepper sauce, sweet potato.

Day 9.
Breakfast: Frittata (you can see the recipe here). Coffee. Fruit.

This is a strange day, because I actually wake up craving black coffee. Just black. No intense craving for the sugar in it. And it almost tastes good today. WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD.

Lunch: Greek chicken salad.
Snack: Apple with almond butter.
Dinner: Pork Chop with Spiced Apple Sauce and Kale Salad.

This dinner meal has quickly become one of my favorites on Whole30. And really - it's that spiced apple sauce. It's so surprising and so RIGHT on a pork chop. Plus, I feel like June Cleaver cooking up a pork chop in my kitchen. I mean, where are my pearls. Where are my heels.

Day 10.
Breakfast: Frittata. Coffee. Fruit.
Lunch: Roasted tomato soup (without the white wine - everything else is Whole30 compliant!) and a Greek chicken salad.

I have my friend Kathleen over today and I am somehow talking her into doing Whole30. I'm not even sure if I mean to be evangelizing the Whole30 gospel, but I hear myself talking her through all my reasons for doing it - and she is excited.

I suddenly realize I'm hooked. I might hate the pain of this wellness experiment, but I am hooked.

Dinner: Herb Chicken Meatballs and Tomato sauce. I forgot to make the spaghetti squash. Oops.

Day 11.
Breakfast: Frittata. What else as this point.

I do find myself longing for toast. Just a simple piece of toast would really mix up the boringness of eggs every.single.day.

Lunch: Leftover Roasted Tomato Soup. An apple with almond butter. A handful of sunflower seeds, which I'm convinced is not for filling up humans.
Dinner: Baked Chicken with roasted red pepper sauce. And something green.

Day 12.
Breakfast: Frittata. Fruit. Coffee.

I almost like Whole30 today. And I'm sort of actually craving black coffee again.

Lunch: A bowl of tomato soup, a sliced apple and a handful of sunflower seeds.
Dinner: Roasted spaghetti squash with herbed chicken meatballs and tomato sauce.

This strange thing happens after dinner - neither of us is craving something sweet. We ALWAYS crave something sweet after dinner, but tonight, nope. It's so weird. We watched an old episode of The Office and went straight to bed. Because there's nothing else fun to eat and drink.

Day 13.
Breakfast: Egg scramble with avocado, chicken sausage and tomatoes. Half a grapefruit. Black coffee.
Morning Snack: A sliced green apple with almond butter. Note: I am getting really, really sick of almond butter.

I am suuuuuuper hungry today. Like, so hungry I could eat a bus. I am hungry every hour around the clock and it dawns on me that I might need to be drinking more water. With all this meal prep, I'm forgetting to drink as much water as usual.

Lunch: A salad with avocado, sliced tomatoes, sunflower seeds, olives and chicken.
Dinner: Oven-baked Salmon with roasted red pepper sauce, sweet potato and kale chips.

I really can't lie. These dinners are all delicious. There has maybe been one that has only been so-so. I am just going by the book here, and preparing recipes that are on the plan. There are a zillion different dressings, vinaigrettes and sauces so you shouldn't get bored finding something to top your dinner protein with. It just takes some extra prep to actually make a dressing from scratch. It's not a big deal, but it's a deal. I find myself making 1-2 per week and that seems to work out well.

Day 14.
Breakfast: Quick eggs scramble and a banana.

Church day! Busy busy busy. The three of us are out the door before 7:30 and that feels like a miracle in itself. Then we have to figure out how to sustain the next few hours outside of the comfort of our own kitchen.

We help volunteer at our church before the service by hosting a breakfast bar for the other early morning volunteers - which means we provide Panera bagels and Chobani yogurt to the team. Everett happily gobbles up a half a bagel with honey-walnut cream cheese and I find myself very jealous of my son's good fortune. To not be on this wellness experiment. I almost drool.

Snack: Black coffee and a Lara Bar.
Lunch: Salad with leftover Salmon and random vegetables I rummage up out of the fridge.
Dinner: Slowcooked Beef with homemade ranch dressing and green onions, sweet potatoes and kale chips.

This beef is incredible. It's so good I swear I've made a mistake and accidentally added something non-Whole30 into the crockpot. I check my recipe like three times, but no, I've done everything according to the book. It's moments like these when I am convinced it's totally possible to eat delicious food on this plan. And then I like Whole30 again. (Seriously, this one is so good that I will share the recipe next week - I am only going to share my favorites with you!)

Overall Recap:
The anger from last week has subsided, although I still feel a steady amount of annoyance pretty much all the time. The sugar cravings have dramatically decreased, although I still have them from time to time. Having Stevie help take the lead on breakfast and lunch (when he could, according to his work schedule) really helped lighten my load and made this week feel more sustainable than last. My energy levels don't seem to have increased, although I am waking up three times a week to hit the gym early in the morning. Not sure if I could have done that a month ago, although I am making some adjustments to my sleep schedule, and trying to get into bed much earlier these days. There's nothing fun to munch on at night anyways. Overall, I am really glad I'm doing this, but it still feels hard. Really really hard. Like, really really hard.

What am I dreaming of? Going out to eat Mexican food that somebody else cooks and drinking a margarita.

P.S. Part 1 of my Whole30 diary.