July 31, 2012
One month down... that was easy.
A month ago, I started participating in the Whole 30 challenge. I thought that by the end of it, I'd be sick of sweet potatoes, salads, eggs, and everything else I was sitting down to eat. Instead, I'm feeling amazing, I still love all of those foods, and I've made the following health marker improvements:
5lb lost (eating as much as I want - unfortunately due to injury I've been limited in exercise) - about 1% body fat lost
Energy levels are through the roof. I feel great pretty much all the time.
For the longest time, I thought I was an insomniac. As far back as I can remember, I've been staying up until midnight and waking up groggily the next morning. Under Whole 30, I was able to stop taking melatonin about a week in, and while I do take magnesium at night now (both as a general supplement and to help sleep quality), I fall asleep naturally and easily at around 9-10PM most nights. I can stay up later if I want to (last night I did to watch The Dark Knight Rises - so good) but when I want to sleep, I can. This is a HUGE difference in my overall quality of life.
Initially I thought I was going to bring beans & possibly dairy back into my diet. I don't think I will. I feel great, and every now and then I'll allow myself to consciously make a bad decision, but it's going to be a conscious decision. I'll be eating this way 99% of the time in the future.
If you decide to give it a try, here are the two things to know: 1) the first week is the hardest, by far. The first 3-4 days especially. 2) If you're routinely feeling sluggish during the day, you're probably not eating enough fat. I've added coconut milk in my coffee and avocado with pretty much every breakfast, and since then, I've been feeling amazing - only hungry at mealtime and energy levels are consistent throughout the day.
Feel free to post in the comments if you've got any questions about the process. It's certainly been a very worthwhile investment for me.
9 Comments:
delcrossb posted on July 31, 2012 at 19:40 PM
Did you buy the guide or just do it as prescribed on the website?
Entity posted on July 31, 2012 at 19:57 PM
We bought their book "It Starts with Food" which really goes into the details (which is the interesting stuff to me).
cam167 posted on July 31, 2012 at 21:21 PM
Awesome Rob, i've been waiting for this blog post, congrats!
I've started on paleo, and have a shit ton of questions, but probably not in your area of expertice, since this whole30 days isn't similar.
One question though, why are they, against Paleo-ifying things, is it viewed as being a softy, and not strict enough compared to the whole30 thingy?
Entity posted on July 31, 2012 at 22:16 PM
Actually Whole 30 is VERY similar to Paleo (a tad more restrictive). The first 30 days is about relearning your mental approach to food.
I'd really recommend the book - after the first 30 days is done you're allowed to use sweeteners (Maple Syrup, etc). Much of the science they rely on comes from Robb Wolf. The reason not to "paleo-ify" foods is because you're still engaging in unhealthy mental relationships to food - thinking of food as a "treat" rather than as fuel to power yourself and your body. During the first 30 days when you're working hard to deprogram certain aspects of your relationship with food, it's recommended that you avoid that at all costs. After the 30 days is up, it's really for you to judge, but be aware of the fact that some paleo-ified foods can still encourage unhealthy behaviors.
cam167 posted on July 31, 2012 at 22:25 PM
thx Rob, you the man!
please keep blogging.
TecmoSuperBowl posted on August 01, 2012 at 19:35 PM
I exercise a ton and know that diet is my weakness. I am a) very lazy about preparing meals b) very picky about food and c) really enjoy dessert. But I know that I can only go so far in rock climbing if I continue to fuel myself with less than desirable ingredients. Any advice?
n0whereman posted on August 02, 2012 at 13:29 PM
Tecmo
1)If you're really picky, you probably don't mind eating the same thing fairly often. You could try starting with just a few meals, repeating them, and then trying to add from there.
2)Pay someone to do 1 for you
3) All-dessert diet.
FWIW I think the grocery store is tougher than meal prep when eating this way, so maybe you could get someone to buy your groceries and then do the cooking yourself.
TecmoSuperBowl posted on August 03, 2012 at 13:18 PM
Thanks n0where. I'll PM or email you if I have further comments as this is far from the most efficient communication method haha.
mitch posted on August 04, 2012 at 08:39 AM
Tecmo
Stop being a lazy, picky, dessert eater.
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