The Whole30 Program-- a retrospective (Part 1)

The part of me that loves order, HATES the fact that I started this blog while already halfway through my Whole30 challenge. But the part of me that has pledged to Be Flexible is content to just write up what I've been through so far and call it a day!

What is the Whole30?
The Whole30 program is pretty simple really. It's 30 days of eating "real" food. Sounds simple, right? We eat real food all the time! Pizza is real, right? I am not WISHING it into existence. It's REALLY food and it's REALLY delicious. Alas, it is REALLY not a part of this program. 

Here's what you can't eat
Dairy
Grains
Legumes
Sugar
Alcohol

Here's what you can
meat 
seafood
eggs
vegetables
fruit
good fats from fruits, nuts, oils and seeds

Days 1-2
After shopping and dropping a small fortune at Whole Foods, I am feeling ready for this! Until I wake up on Day 1 and realize, I am not ready enough. I have no idea what to eat and when. I end of snacking on a lot of nuts while wondering why I decided to do this.

Days 3-5
The Whole30 timeline says I might be feeling flu-like symptoms at this stage, as my body works out toxins. However, since I leapt into the challenge whithout much forethought, I didn't have any binge days leading up to the beginning. I don't feel flu-ey so much as... bored. I am already bored of eggs.

These days fell over a weekend, while I was staying at a pal's house looking after their dog.I take the pup for a run, and instead of doing mu customary 3 miles, I run half a mile and peter out. Apologizing to the dog, I turn around and walk us home. 

On day 5, I go to the supermarket (for the third time in five days) and nearly break down in tears. I am starving.

Day 6
I really hate life. I email Andrew (my fiance) constantly, asking him if I should quit. It's not that there are certain foods I'm craving-- it's just that I am sick of the WORK that goes into this. I can't recall why I decided to do this damn thing. 

Since there isn't a particular food I'm dying for, I decide to make it through the night and reassess the next day. I give the Whole30 Program the Dread Pirate Roberts treatment. 

"Goodnight Diet! I'll most likely kill you in the morning."

Day 7
My colleague Amy has been eating Paleo for a few months, and she swings by my desk to ask me how I'm doing. My scowl is an answer. She says the words that change the course of my challenge "You are not eating enough food." 

And with those words, the challenge turned around for me. I went from hating life to being really quite fond of it. 

But more on that next time!