The Whole30 could be described as a diet or cleanse, but if you’ve ever done it, you know it ends up being more of a journey.
In an attempt to fully prepare you—or deter you—for what you might face on your own 30-day battle against your cravings, this 22-year-old sugar addict will tell you exactly what happened—the good, the bad and the downright torturous.
About the Whole30
I could go on for a thousand words about the diet, the restrictions and the food swaps involved in the Whole30, but here’s the gist: You eat only meat/protein, vegetables and fruits for a whole 30 days. You cut out all the things your body has learned to love and crave, including dairy, grains, gluten and any added sugar whatsoever.
If that didn’t scare you away from this article then you must truly be desperate—kidding… sort of.
The point of the Whole30 isn’t to lose weight (though you probably will). The point is to cut out the food groups that are wreaking havoc on your body. Once you finish the eating plan, you can reintroduce certain foods little by little, and then make your own decisions based on how you feel. For example, if you finish your Whole30, drink milk and the next morning you feel bloated or your stomach hurts, then you can make an educated decision to cut dairy from your diet permanently.
Some Background on Me
Before the Whole30 I would essentially eat whatever I wanted. I’d wake up for breakfast, eat oatmeal, yogurt, toast and eggs or, more often than I’d like to admit, get a Starbucks pastry or a bagel. My typical lunch would involve a sandwich or panini of some sort, and I’d probably get dinner out four or five times a week. The worst part of my diet—and this was what I wanted to concentrate on the most during my Whole30—was my late-night snacking.
What can I say? Milano cookies are delicious.
I usually stay up until midnight or 1 A.M. writing or watching TV, and when I stay up that late after having dinner around 6:30, the hunger gets real. On any given night of the week, I’d probably eat around 400-500 extra calories (and not the good kind) between dinner and bedtime. What can I say? Milano cookies are delicious.
Week One
Week one of my first round of Whole30 was truly a whole new experience for me. I was underprepared and probably way in over my head, but I’d already told anyone that’d listen that I was doing the program, so there was no quitting.