Lessons Learned from Whole 30

As I reflect on my Whole30 experience, I'm always surprised by how emotional fasting can be.  What began as a journey to health inevitably ends up teaching me more about who I am mentally and emotionally, forcing me to unearth an unhealthy relationship with food that goes back years.  I detailed a good bit of that in this post.  Whole30 requires as much mental toughness and discipline as it does physical, and the program taught me a great deal about my ability to persevere even the toughest challenges, so here are a few of the key lessons Whole30 taught me.

1.  It may seem the whole world is plotting against your desire to eat more healthfully.  

Yup, in a backroom somewhere, the "world" schemes ways to sidetrack the most diligent among us. Perhaps that's a bit overblown, but for those of us who have decided to go Paleo and exhibit a small desire not to cook every meal for the rest of our lives, eating out is near impossible.  Even if Paleo isn't your thing and you just want to eat more vegetables, I dare you to find a conveniently located fast-food restaurant that meets your standard of serving one vegetable that isn't a French fry or overcooked, salty green beans.  Most places offer salads, but many of those are laden with cheese, corn, or other non-Paleo fare.  For most of my Whole30 experience, I chose to avoid restaurants.  I discovered quickly that most meats are soaked in soy-based or sulfite-containing marinades.  I doubt grass-fed meats grace most menus and almost all vegetables were sprinkled with a processed butter substitute.  It seems that though we swear to jumping on the healthy bandwagon, it's little more than lip-service.  If there were an actual public demand for healthier fare at most restaurants, it would be offered.  The truth is most of us aren't willing to part with our Big Macs.  If we speak with our wallets, the restaurant industry will listen.

2.  Prepare, prepare, prepare

Whole30 requires an inordinate amount of planning, and I've discovered so does healthy eating in general.  If you aren't willing to plan meals, shop strategically, and cook some things ahead of time then you are setting yourself up for failure.  This type of lifestyle change is possible, but it isn't easy.  As with most worthy goals, work is required to achieve success.  It simply isn't possible to create real change without effort, and a healthier lifestyle is no different.  If you wait until eight o'clock at night after a long day of work to think about what you're going to eat for dinner, you'll grab whatever is convenient, regardless of its nutritional value.  If you want to succeed in making a significant lifestyle change, commit to doing the work required to succeed.  There's no shortcut to health.  

3.  Seek out resources to help you on your journey

Though difficult, living Paleo doesn't have to be impossible.  I learned quickly that there was no reason to try and navigate a new, unexplored path.  Thousands of people have been successfully living a healthy, whole-food Paleo lifestyle for years, and glory, they have shared their tips for success, common pitfalls, and recipes....tons and tons of recipes.  You don't have to travel alone, friend.  Subscribe to one of the hundreds of excellent blogs like Mark's Daily Apple, Paleo Parents (especially if you have children), NomNom Paleo, or Rubies and Radishes.  And that's just a sampling.  Subscribe to a magazine like Paleo Magazine.  All of these offer recipes, advice, and support, which are critical to success.

4.  Whole30 will make you feel and look great, leading to more body confidence.

Okay, I'll admit, my only disappointment with the initial thirty days of Whole30 was that I only lost five pounds.  First of all, I realize Whole30 is a lifestyle change to improve my health longterm, not a quick-loss fad diet, but I was expecting a few more pounds to melt away.  That being said, one of the big benefits of Whole30 is a noticeably flatter stomach, in addition to glowing skin, fewer breakouts, and energy through the roof.

I was so impressed with my flatter stomach that one morning while shopping, I decided to try a smaller size in a skirt.  I waltzed into Banana Republic, grabbed an adorable skirt off the rack, skipped into the fitting room, and easily slipped it on. After admiring my slimmer physique in the three-way mirror, I walked back into the fitting room and began to unzip the skirt.  It wouldn't budge.  I yanked a little harder but to no avail.  After fighting with the zipper for several minutes, I meekly tiptoed out to the sales floor and caught the attention of a clerk.  "Ma'am, I can't get this skirt to unzip."  She confidently strode over to me and gave the zipper a yank.  Still, the stubborn zipper didn't budge.  "Greg," she called, "Come give this zipper a try."  Color flushed my cheeks as the young man wrestled unsuccessfully with the zipper.  Finally, the manager came over and attempted to free me from the skirt.  After a few seconds of tugging on the zipper, she took both hands and forcefully yanked, ripping the skirt off of my body in the middle of the sales floor.  I quickly grabbed the remains of the material wrapped it around my waist and fled to the fitting room.  I'm not saying the skirt was too snug, but perhaps I shouldn't have been so quick to grab a smaller size.  Whole30 might give you body confidence.  Use it wisely.

5.  Whole30 will change your relationship with food.  

Once my thirty days were complete, I surprisingly didn't run to the nearest Chick-fil-A and order a frosted lemonade.  In fact, I pretty much ate the same way I'd been eating for the previous thirty days.  Why?  I felt fantastic.  I'd finally learned to appreciate the art of cooking, the satisfaction of a meal prepared with whole food, free of preservatives and junk.  My body was responding in ways I'd never imagined:  better sleep, more energy, clearer skin, less brain fog.  I found myself not wanting to go back to eating as usual.  Granted, I don't imagine I'll be as dogmatic as I was during Whole30, I can't imagine completely returning to eating the way I did one month ago.  The benefits far outweigh the inconveniences.  I appreciate the taste of real food now, and with proper planning, it's become easier and easier to prepare meals.  My crockpot and I are now best friends, and I even know what to eat in a pinch.  Whole30 has transformed the way I think about eating, and I like it.  I enjoy living this way.

Whole30 and the Paleo lifestyle aren't for everyone.  I get the reluctance to give up pasta and cinnamon rolls.  While I once craved these foods, now I look forward to a plate of grilled steak and roasted brussels sprouts.  Seriously.  If you're looking for an eating plan that can transform your health, consider Whole30.