Something new...

2011-04-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

I have been doing some research and have decided to do the Whole30 challenge. What is the Whole30? It's a very strict challenge. It's a challenge that will totally take me out of my comfort zone. It's something that I HOPE will help get me back on track and get serious. I have support with this challenge. My husband eats Paleo, which is basically eating like the cavemen did. My coworkers also do different diets/exercise routines and we all support each other.

So, now onto what the Whole30 really is. This is taken directly from the website.

The Whole30 Program, As Outlined

Eat real food – meat, fish, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats. Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re natural and unprocessed.

More importantly, here’s what NOT to eat during the duration of your Whole30 program. Omitting all of these foods and beverages will help you regain your healthy metabolism, reduce systemic inflammation, and help you discover how these foods are truly impacting your health, fitness and quality of life.

Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies sneak sugar into products in all kinds of ways.

Do not eat processed foods. This includes protein shakes, pre-packaged snacks/meals, protein bars, milk substitutes, etc.

Do not drink alcohol, in any form.

Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, millet, oats, corn, rice, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. (Yes, we said corn!) This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.

Do not eat legumes. This includes beans (black, kidney, lima, etc.), peas, lentils, and peanuts or peanut butter. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).

Do not eat dairy. This includes all cow, goat or sheep’s milk, cream, butter, cheese, yogurt, whey, ice cream, etc.

Do not eat white potatoes. It’s arbitrary, but they are carbohydrate-dense and nutrient poor, and also a nightshade.

Most importantly… do not try to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold. This means no “Paleo-fying” less-than-healthy recipes – no “Paleo” pancakes, “Paleo” pizza, “Paleo” fudge or “Paleo” ice cream. Don’t mimic poor food choices during your Whole30 program!

One last and final rule. You are not allowed to step on the scale for the duration of your Whole30 program. This is about so much more than just weight loss, and to focus only on your body composition means you’ll miss out on the most dramatic (and lifelong) benefits this plan has to offer. Give yourself a well-deserved, long overdue break from fixating on that number on the scale! Absolutely NO weighing yourself or taking comparative measurements during your Whole30.

So, the eating real food, that won't be a problem. I will have some difficultly with the no artificial sweeteners. I LOVE my diet soda. I mean, super love it. So, yea, that is going to be a HUGE hill for me to tackle. I have already started decreasing the amounts of soda I drink. I will go through caffeine withdrawl. I refuse to drink black coffee for just a little caffeine. I also love my sweets, but I have been trying to lose weight for awhile, so my sweets intake really is decreased anyways. No alcohol is not a problem. I never drink. Grains...oh, grains, how I will miss thee. I need my bread, my crackers, my oatmeal, but I can do without for 30 days. Legumes, not so much of a problem. I have looked into almond butter which is allowed. So I have something instead of peanut butter. The dairy and white potatoes will not be too hard either. I'm sure at some point I'll want yogurt or cheese, but right now they aren't that heavy in my diet. I hate drinking milk so that isn't going to be an issue.

And the last rule, well, that just isn't going to happen. I am totally be on the scale once a week either on Fridays or Saturdays depending on my work schedule.

Now my reasons for doing this. I need to do something to get back to being healthy. I want to be able to do the 30 days with no cheating food wise. I want to show myself that I CAN do this. I KNOW that this will be the hardest thing I've done food wise. I am taking the time to find some good recipes that follow the guidelines. I am taking the time to go grocery shopping to follow the guidelines. I am starting this April 15th. I will be sharing my experiences and recipes and all that as I go along.

Living With Intention

Something new...

The Whole30 Program, As Outlined