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If you’ve been following along somewhat, then you know that Melanie and I finished up our first Whole30 last week. We’ve decided to recap our experiences in separate posts in a question and answer format.
The reactions that I get from others when I tell them that I’m doing (have done) Whole30 are similar reactions that I get when I tell people that I’m a minister. There’s a mixture of shock, awe, and reverence, followed by a final look of “wow, he’s crazy.” The truth is that changing my relationship with food was a deeper experience than just following a diet. I’ve followed diets many times to only be let down. It wasn’t until Whole30 that I was able to finally break the cycle and maintain a healthy relationship with healthy food!
Q1: Why did you decide to do the Whole30?
A1: My dad had a terrible health scare, followed by a long hospital and rehab stay, earlier this year. After seeing his struggle with diabetes, I knew that I needed to get control of my own health now. The Whole30 was a starting point for me.
Q2: What was the hardest thing about the 30 days?
A2: No diet soda and no candy! I had a soda addiction, and I always enjoyed having some type of candy or gum in my mouth at all times. They were both hard addictions to break.
Q3: What health benefits did you see after the 30 days?
A3: I think a better question would be, “What health benefits did I NOT see in 30 days?”. I lost 14 pounds. I had no more lower back pain, no heartburn, no headaches, better bowel movements, and I slept better than I have in years.
Q4: Did all the benefits outweigh what you gave up?
A4: ABSOLUTELY!
Q5: What was your favorite Whole30 dish or meal?
A5: I discovered that I have a love for roasted sweet potatoes. My favorite meal was (and still is!) grilled salmon with avocado salsa, asparagus, and roasted sweet potatoes.
Q6: Do you have any favorite Whole30 approved products that you’ll continue using?
A6: I’ll be putting in a request for Melanie to order more Chocolate Sea Salt RX Bars for times in a pinch when I’m on the road. Those things are better than any “bar” on the market. Tessemae’s Buffalo Sauce from the Whole30 Condiment pack is my new favorite condiment.
Q7: Did anything about the 30 days surprise you?
A7: I thought that I would have to eat cardboard for 30 days while holding my nose every time I ate. Yep, this was a total misconception on my part! In reality, I’ve never eaten so much like a king! Every meal was flavorful, and we found several meat dishes that we were able to incorporate into the kids’ meals. Win-win!
Q8: Do you have any last advice for someone contemplating beginning a Whole30 journey?
A8: Read It All Starts With Food and implement recipes into your life before actually kicking off the Whole30. We started a few weeks before our “kick-off” date by stocking our pantry and refrigerator with a few approved items. We cooked all approved dinners for at least a week before beginning. I truly feel like this allowed us to be successful. Our lives are too busy and too crazy to not have had a plan.
I hope this helps anyone on their Whole30 journey! Keep an eye out for Melanie’s post next week. She’ll be responding to the same questions. I’m interested to see how hers vary.
Thanks for reading!
Jason
