Well, that flew by! What next?

First off, my apologies for not posting sooner. In the final days of the Whole30 we unexpectedly bought a house and are in the crazy process of selling ours. Blogging time became decluttering time.

But for the final paragraph in this chapter, one word would describe this Whole30 for me: success! At the end of the thirty days, I felt fantastic. My skin was dewy (hello healthy fats!), my sinus issues gone, I felt firmer, slimmer and completely energized. I had moments when I felt so great, I was tempted to try and go longer - why mess with a great thing?
But the thing about the Whole30 is it is a "reset" or a reminder of how good super clean healthy eating makes you feel. And honestly? I was dying for a good chocolate chip cookie (grain free, of course, see excellent recipe here. I use butter as the fat.)

The nitty gritty details post this Whole30 revealed an 11 pound weight loss (call me shocked - really) and a total loss of  7.5 inches (combined number from waist, arms, thigh and bust). The love handles that were so evident on day 1 had evaporated - I couldn't believe the before and afters...In my books, that is pretty impressive when you aren't on any sort of diet that leaves you hungry and wanting more. In fact, you gain more on the Whole30 than you give up: energy, health, sleep, awakening taste buds to fresh, vibrant and clean flavours.

Much like my first Whole30, this past one reminded me that preparation is the key to success for thirty days of clean eating. When your fridge is stocked with yummy protein and vegetable choices that are ready to go, you can't help but succeed. After all, reaching for something that is ready saves time and energy all around. Preparing foods that are reflective of Whole30 parameters is something I intend to continue, so that much of my eating remains compliant.

Make no mistake though, my diet does look different once I am no longer in the Whole30 mindset. On Wednesday night we had friends over and had an impromptu dinner of what we could find in the fridge and freezer. My favourite flank steak was grilled (in a tamari, ginger and garlic marinade), purple beans were steamed and drizzled with sesame oil, salt and sesame seeds, local tomatoes were chopped and turned into a hasty salad with olive oil, pepper, oregano and sprinkled with feta. We started with a curried squash and carrot soup I had made on the weekend...and finished with the previously mentioned chocolate chip cookies. All in all, super healthy, right? But the tamari is (perhaps) off-plan, the feta and cookies are for sure a no-no. However, I never intended to be Whole30 compliant for life, that's why the 30 is attached. But it does inspire me to continue the path of conscious eating. And believe me, I consciously ate those cookies and loved every. last. bite.

Melty, delicious and completely yum.

The moving house bit led to an unwise choice on Monday (three days post the Whole30 wrap). Knee-deep in boxes and covered in basement dust, I decided to throw caution to the wind and we ordered a pizza. After eating two pieces, I felt completely greasy and crappy. Two days later, I still felt horrible, like I had swallowed a lead balloon. Was it worth it? Absolutely not. The next time I am in a pinch I'll be breaking out the scrambled eggs or dicing an avocado, throwing salsa on it and calling it lunch. There is one pizza that is worth it - but interestingly enough indulging in that hand-tossed, durum semolina crust once a month or so doesn't impact me much at all. I certainly don't get a three day food hangover from it.

My next Whole30 is scheduled for January, I think I will make it a Whole32 (or 31.5) since February 1 is on a Friday. For the months in between, I intend to make informed food choices and continue to monitor how food impacts my health and energy level - and maintain the good habits established during the Whole30. Breakfasts are success indicators for me, so this weekend I'll whip up another vegetable filled frittata and a quick healthy protein for my grab and gos as I get back into the morning routine. That said, I am sure the next few months I will slip back sometimes (next weekend I am going away for a ladies retreat and cannot wait! I won't be limiting myself there), and those times will likely be followed by a Whole2 or Whole3, where I will eat super clean after the indulging. It's a little kick-start and reminder of how healthy eating feels. The majority of times, my food choices will be Paleo or Primal - this visual is a great help when making decisions.

 I know some of you have been following along, I'd love to hear about your own food and health journeys. Have you tried Whole30 at all? What are your thoughts? Are there any other food frameworks that influence your eating habits? Share your stories - and thanks for following ours!