In mid-April, I began another round of the Whole 30. This was something that I did last year just before my bridal shower to reset and focus on real foods. Take two was easier than the first round. However, I did find myself going a bit heavy on portions of nuts, fruits, and protein. I defaulted to some of my easy favorite recipes including breakfast egg cups, paleo spinach quiche, a detoxinista soup, and kale/mushroom stir fry.
Whole 30 can be challenge in terms of finding prep time to buy the groceries and cook the meals. But it is not something you can do well without the planning. I tried to brainstorm ideas during the week of relatively easy dishes to make on the weekend. I also needed to make sure the portions were enough to feed my husband. He did not do the Whole 30 but definitely ate most of the foods I cooked. We shopped on Saturdays if possible and cooked on Sunday/Monday. I also kept nuts, olives, pickles, and nitrate-free meats to snack on (did that a bit too often!)
In terms of exercise, the first week or two was difficult at crossfit as my body went through the detox stage. But after it leveled out, I felt incredibly strong and was able to Rx on some workouts. I picked back up with fasted morning cardio which I think had the most impact for weight loss and definition. I added in a 30 day squat challenge that I found on Pinterest and alternated between abs/chin ups during the week. And as I have done since last year, I continue to do 5 sets of 20 pushups six days per week. Recently, I returned to the GSRT track workouts to improve my running as that is an area that has been neglected over the past year. I have a desire to sign up for a triathlon this summer but house hunting on the weekend has made longer training challenging to fit into the schedule. Maybe I'll be able to squeeze one in fairly soon!
At the end of this Whole 30 (which ended up being 31 due to a road race on day 31), I feel clear-headed, fit, and healthy. The biggest challenge I faced this time was an allergic reaction to outdoor pollen. I've not had pollen allergies in years, but with dry weather on the east coast, my allergies flared up in May. I had to give in and take some allergy medicine and night time medicine to sleep. I was bummed about this because one contained high fructose corn syrup which is obviously not Whole 30 approved--nonetheless, I needed to sleep and it was a small amount.
The end results of the Whole 30 physically: 6lbs lost and over three inches gone. My clothes are fitting much better again. Emotionally and mentally, it seems highly beneficial to do this if you can make it through the first few weeks. I was able think more clearly and had more positive reactions to situations. It was easier to fall asleep and wake up during this time as well.
Therefore, I guess the question is not when will I do another Whole 30 but rather how can I make this a part of my daily routine? It is almost impossible to go to social events while strictly following Whole 30 (it can be done though!) so it seems keeping a short "cheat" window may make it easier to abide by the basic principles during the week. Knowing how much better I feel should be motivation to keep plugging away at the daily routine.
