Pride Goes Before the Fall: The Humbled Homemaker’s Whole 30

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I attempted my first Whole 30 during the month of July, and I’ve been eager to share my Whole 30 experience with you all.

The Whole 30 was easier than I expected–yet I think that was part of the reason it was so hard for me to fall during week four.

What is the Whole 30?

The Whole 30 is a system reset or gentle detox of sorts.

It’s 30 days of absolutely no processed foods and the elimination of several whole foods as well.

Specifically, those committing to the Whole 30 must abstain from:

• all grains (so this includes gluten-containing foods),
• dairy,
• legumes (except for green beans and peas),
• sugars (including natural sweeteners, like honey, maple syrup and stevia),
• alcohol and
• all processed foods.

Many of these foods are high inflammatory and high allergenic foods. The point in giving these up for one month will help you realize the negative impact they were having on your body–even when you didn’t know it.

Many Whole 30 participants have experienced weight loss, increases in energy and a myriad of health issues resolved through this 30-day program. 

The key? NO cheating, not even one bite.

First 3 Weeks: Easy Street {for me}

The Whole 30 website lists detailed stages of detox that most on the plan experience. However, I did not experience these–except for day 1, which is “What’s the Big Deal?”

The only thing I can figure is that because I have already been gluten and dairy-free for several years, because I do not consume alcohol and because I have been low sugar (mostly using stevia) for over a year and because I eat little processed foods…I was already mostly eating this way.

The biggest challenge for me was not giving into eating whatever the rest of my family was snacking on, etc. 

For example, I came to realize that although I already eat well, for the most part, there are times that the girls will be eating some kind of processed snack (think: veggie chips) or a gluten-free cookie, and I will naturally grab a handful of whatever they are eating–and at the very least eat one (but mostly more!) of their treats with them.

The Whole 30 made me very conscientious of the fact that I mindlessly consume extra calories throughout the day. 

What I thought would be the biggest struggle was my coffee. I rely on my morning coffee as a pick-me-up, and I do not drink coffee black. I tried to give coffee up altogether, but that didn’t work. The Whole 30 didn’t put me in a bad mood, but three days with no coffee did.

So I figured out a way to make my unsweetened coffee palatable, and now I actually prefer my coffee with coconut cream and cinnamon. 

Many people who document their Whole 30s fill their Instagram feeds with gourmet-like fare. Not me. I’m the humbled homemaker, remember? I don’t do gourmet. I do easy. That meant lots and lots of salads, topped with a meat and fat (usually half an avocado or extra virgin olive oil) for me.

 

Week 4: The Fall 

The Whole 30 was so easy for me at first that I thought there was no way I’d not make it through the entire 30 days. 

Ha.

Pride goes before the fall.

And I’m called the humbled homemaker for a reason.

The Whole 30 was relatively easy for me to follow until…I didn’t plan ahead.

This is the exact same reason why I have never been able to stick to Trim Healthy Mama.

As the old saying goes: “Failure to plan is a plan to fail.”

And by week 4, after my husband had spent 11 days in Costa Rica, and the babysitter made the girls cookies…well, I caved.

I was hungry one day, and I didn’t have any food prepared for myself, and I ate half a gluten-free cookie. 

I was expecting to get some kind of stomach upset, but I didn’t.

But that one cheat led me to cheat again–on our anniversary overnight trip. 

When the waiter asked me for salad dressing, I decided to request a big ol’ dish of blue cheese.

That night? I was bloated, and I experienced some other stomach discomforts.

It was clear–I have an issue with dairy, and I should not have cheated.

I was so close, but I fell.

Whole 30 Results

I wholeheartedly recommend the Whole 30 for discovering what foods may be bothering you–and for overall health.

I had wanted to do some kind of detox for a while but had strayed away from the extreme ones out there–because I have spent nearly 7 years consistently pregnant or breastfeeding. (And I still am breastfeeding our youngest, who will turn 2 in two weeks.)

I do not know about pregnancy, but the Whole 30 is safe to complete during breastfeeding (of course, double check with your trusted healthcare provider about that!).

Even though I did not complete the entire 30 days, I did see some results: 

1. My most noticeable result was a flatter tummy.

And here I’ve been blaming my mom pooch on my diastasis. But truly, I could not believe the difference. And after eating dairy during week 4, I am convinced that dairy bloats me.

What’s funny is that I had been dairy free for some time because our youngest breaks out in a rash when I have it, but as she began breastfeeding less frequently this spring, I had started adding it back into my diet.  I have taken it out again.

2. I noticed a more scalloped tongue.

After our 3rd was born, I noticed that I will often wake up with a scalloped tongue. This has always concerned me, although the dentist said not to worry about it. (I wasn’t convinced.)

I thought it might have been some kind of food allergy, so I was shocked that it seemed to get worse during the Whole 30. 

A week after I finished, I got acupuncture. I asked the acupuncturist about my tongue, and she asked if I had been eating a lot of raw foods. I had definitely been eating more raw foods on the Whole 30–mostly because it was just so easy to whip up a quick salad.

The acupuncturist explained that a scalloped tongue indicates low chi/spleen function, and that many people develop them after childbirth. She told me that me having three kids within four years might have triggered it. She said raw foods makes it worse, and I need to eat more soups.

3. I lost some weight–although I’m not sure I can credit the Whole 30 with this.

I had honestly hoped to have lost more weight. I lost about 5 pounds. (And I’m writing this from vacation, so I think I’ve gained it back!)

I was also attending an exercise class in July, so I think the weight loss came from the combination of the class and the Whole 30.

Weight loss has been very slow for me since having my 3rd child. I want to get my thyroid re-checked because my metabolism still seems really sluggish–despite exercise and eating well.

4. I lost inches around my waist.

I didn’t measure the rest of me, but it was very obvious that I was losing inches around my waste. Again, this was probably also helped by the exercise class.

Want to check out the Whole 30 for yourself?

This really is a simple–if you are determined and committed!–detox to try. You can do anything for 30 days! And yes, I will be doing it again! I am thinking about September because I definitely don’t want to try it during the holidays! 😉

You can check out the program here, or order the Whole 30 book, It Starts with Food. The book goes into the most detail, and it, very literally, could change your life! 

Have you ever completed the Whole 30? What do you think about the Whole 30?