My First Whole 30 : Week 1 Reflections

Hey guys, this is Laura speaking to you in June of 2020. I came across what I wrote privately on September 9, 2014 and just had to share it with you! Here it is, my reflections on my very first Whole30!

Let me just start by saying this: My sister made me do it. The first time she asked me to join her Whole 30 group, I said no. Hell no, actually. I’ve done diet plans before, and I’ve always had one of two results:

1. I go overboard, become borderline obsessive and it takes over my life (or)
2. I half-heartedly join in, then abandon the plan at the first sight (or smell) of pizza

For those of you who don’t know what Whole30 is, I’ll briefly explain. Whole 30 is a thirty day eating plan based on the book “It Starts with Food,” cutting out sweeteners, grains, dairy, alcohol and processed foods for the entire month. Taken directly from whole30.com :

“Cut out all the psychologically unhealthy, hormone-unbalancing, gut-disrupting, inflammatory food groups for a full 30 days. Let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing. Push the “reset” button with your metabolism, systemic inflammation, and the downstream effects of the food choices you’ve been making. Learn once and for all how the foods you’ve been eating are actually affecting your day to day life, and your long term health.” 

So what got finally me on board? Well, she kept asking and wore me down, I guess. I also read more about it and heard the stories of other people, and there are a few things that set this plan apart.

It’s not a quick solution, just a way to jump start healthier lifestyle choices. And what tipped the scales (literally), is that it isn’t just about the physical effects of following a healthy plan, it’s also about conquering the psychological aspects of eating like habits and cravings.

We started September 1st, and I just finished my first week. As a lifelong stress eater, one of the first observations I’ve made is that Whole 30 seems to diminish many of my impulsive eating habits.

I plan each meal and snack in advance which means that my food choices haven’t been dependent on or even linked to my emotions. And I have to say, that feels like a really good change. 

A few other observations from this week:
1. I am absolutely astounded by how much I miss bread. I had no idea how reliant I was on it, and going without it for just a few days has been tough, but I’m hopeful that this exercise will help decrease the cravings. Although lately I’m dreaming of eating PB&J sandwiches…

2. Everything, literally everything, has sugar in it. Please take this as a reminder to look at your food labels closely! I liked to think I was an educated shopper, but I’m still pretty surprised to find sweeteners in some pantry staples like ketchup and salsa.

3. If you decide to do this, expect weird side effects early on. Between my fellow week 1 friends, we’ve experienced everything from moodiness and headaches to fatigue, constipation, and oily skin. I guess it makes sense that initially breaking lifelong habits has manifested in crazy ways, so stay tuned for week 2!