I finished whole30, and I’m so very glad I stuck with it. I feel better, and BONUS! – I lost 9 stubborn pounds. My joints aren’t achy, and my digestion is much improved. I have an fresh awareness now of how what I put into my body makes me feel, and I’m enjoying the taste of real food. (Just yesterday I had one of the best salads I can remember. I used leftover steak from the night before with romaine lettuce and assorted salad veggies, a few walnuts, and a simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette that’s become my favorite dressing. Every bite tasted wonderful, and it left me satisfied until supper.) I’ve cut back on caffeine, and I’ve found I really don’t “need” snacks anymore.

I’ll admit that it took a lot of planning and work to hang in there for 30 days. My eyes have been opened to how hard it is to find whole, real food without any funky additives. Sugar is in nearly everything, and did you know soy is in much more than you’d suspect — cans of tuna, vitamins, supplements, and more? Meat in restaurants is often not 100% meat — dairy and soy are added to meat even in upscale burger joints. Having compliant food in the house takes real effort. And I never seem to buy enough eggs or berries.

It really helped to have some friends at work committed to this way of eating, too. We shared experiences and recipes and encouraged each other.

There have been a few moments of mad cravings, but honestly, the worst part has been the never-ending pile of dirty dishes in the sink. (Fortunately the dishes fairy pays regular visits. Thanks, Paul!) When there are few places you can eat out and you have to do some sort of cooking at every single meal, it gets old.

I’m going to stick with many of the habits I’ve acquired over this past month — cooking with coconut oil (Trader Joe’s is my favorite), eating lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, avoiding soy and gluten, compulsively reading labels, having boiled eggs always ready in the fridge. I’m most curious about how dairy will affect me when I reintroduce it because I really miss my full-fat, plain Greek yogurt with berries for breakfast. And I love the creaminess of half & half in my coffee, even though I’ve learned to make do with coconut oil or coconut milk.

Now that I’ve seen what a difference 30 days can make, I’ve decided that July is a month to really commit to moving my body every day except for Sundays. I’m encouraged and motivated by my progress in June and want to keep the momentum going in July. My Fitbit is now back on my wrist.

I really think most everyone could benefit by checking out whole30 (the website is generously filled with free resources).  It Starts With Food is a helpful read and reference, too.

It’s not easy, but what positive changes ever are? If you’ve done a whole30 or are considering it, I’d love to hear about it.

Feeling good,