So, before I go on, I feel the need to reintroduce myself:
Name: Kensy
Age: 30 (yep - meant to post about that one...kinda crazy)
Relationship status: married (to the most wonderful man)
Kids: one 7-month-old son (also, a boy cat and a girl dog)
Degree: B.M.E. Instrumental Music Education
Job: primary job title is "Mom" (so thankful for this), private music instructor, Pampered Chef consultant
Hobbies: keyboardist on church praise team, member of the Parkville Symphonic Band trumpet section, stamping/making cards, crafting/DIY home improvement projects, catching up on shows online (PTL for this...no cable or DVR in this house), bargain shopping
Ok, I think that's good, for now. If you've been a longtime reader, you know waaaay more than that about me, but for those of you who may be new to the "scoop," nice to meet ya. ☺
So, about that title: it's true. I actually did that, and I still can't really believe it.
My husband and I made the decision several months ago to do the Whole30 elimination diet in the month of January. For those of you unfamiliar with the plan, you can read all you want by clicking here, but in short, it's 30 days of no sugar (or sweeteners), grains, dairy, legumes, or additives - no exceptions and no cheat days - followed by a 12-day reintroduction period. The program also discourages snacking, mimicking "treats" with compliant ingredients, or treating yourself, even with compliant items (i.e. having some fruit instead of a candy bar just because you had a bad day and "need" something sweet).
This wasn't something we formally signed up for, we didn't pay for a plan, or anything, and it wasn't prescribed. We'd heard and read about it in various spaces, and for several reasons, decided to give it a go. This program is not meant to be a "diet" in the traditional sense - you're not limited as to how much you eat, but rather, what you eat. It's meant to make you more aware of how you're fueling your body, to reset your body to use the right things for fuel, and to make you aware of any allergies/negative reactions you may have to certain food groups.
If you know me/us at all, you know this was not easy. We both definitely have a sweet tooth (or five...). I LOVE to bake! We're foodies and love to try new restaurants (KC restaurant week happened in January!). Food is one of my love languages. As much as I like to cook, shopping for and preparing every single (compliant) meal in our own kitchen for 30+ days was challenging. Saying "no" to treats, convenience foods, and a couple social engagements centered around food was not fun.
For me, personally, however, the "cold turkey" and "no exceptions" rules were helpful. I have enough goody-two-shoes in me that I won't try to color outside the lines if I'm told I can't and enough persistence (or maybe it's stubbornness...or OCD) to see things through to the end - esp. when there's a clear end in sight. Telling myself that everything is ok in "moderation" has not served me super well, lately, esp. coming out of pregnancy as well as finding that breastfeeding doesn't burn as many extra calories (for me, at least) as I'd hoped.
What was even more helpful was doing all this alongside my husband. We were accountable to each other, could empathize with each other, and obviously, ate the same things all month. He was so helpful and supportive, and we're better for it.
Now that we're fresh out of the reintroduction phase and completely done with the program, I'd like to do a little self-reflecting. Thought I'd do it here just in case any of you are interested. ☺
In no particular order:
- We couldn't have done this without a plan. I started a Whole30 Pinterest board months ago (I'm curious as to whether or not that link works if you don't have Pinterest - let me know!), and in the weeks leading up to the new year, we planned out the entire month's worth of menus. This involved a hand-written calendar, an Excel spreadsheet, and a notebook of printed-out recipes; all of which may have been a little more excessive than necessary, but we knew we wanted/needed variety and meals we'd be excited about, and if we didn't plan for it, we'd end up eating the same 3 meals a day all month...or falling off the wagon altogether.
- Though it wasn't the intended result, we did lose a fairly significant amount of weight, considering this was not paired with an exercise regimen (unless you count lifting/carrying an increasingly-heavier baby boy). Though I've not been vocal/public about it, at all, I've struggled with my weight pretty much my whole life. Losing/maintaining/feeling good in my own skin/etc./etc. - it's all just been a constant for many years. People have asked if I liked being pregnant, and honestly, one of the reasons I did was because it was so acceptable and commendable to be "big." This Whole30 month was a healthy (in all senses of the word) reminder that my body will self-regulate if only I give it what it truly needs. Yes, there is something to be said for exercise/regular activity, as well as treating oneself, and we'll be working to rediscover that balance as we move forward.
- Sugar is everywhere. This was the hardest ingredient to avoid...and where it wasn't there was honey or maple syrup or some other substitute. The most surprising label I found sugar on: chicken broth! Seriously. I stood in that isle for many minutes reading labels and trying to find something compliant to put in my cart. I'd made some of our own, but wanted to have something on stand-by, just in case, and I couldn't believe I almost had to go away empty-handed.
- Speaking of grocery shopping - this became an unexpectedly different experience for me. You know I love to grocery shop. And I knew it would be somewhat different, but didn't foresee some of the ways it was. I made an ingredient list for each week's meals and stuck to that shopping list. Whereas previously, I may have shopped the sales and cooked accordingly, I bought only what we needed for the week and sometimes (gasp) paid full price for items. My "impulse buys" became fruit and Larabars that were unexpectedly on sale. Haha. Also had to pass up samples...who AM I?!
- We chose to do this plan in January not because it was a "resolution," but because we didn't have any celebrations/gatherings/travel plans for the month, so it was the easiest time to bunker down at home, if you will, and not be super tempted or inconvenienced when trying to eat compliantly. An unexpected bonus to doing it at this time: Jacob started eating baby food, so I just made any extra fruits and veggies we had into food for him! (He's doing great with it all, by the way - haven't found anything he doesn't like, yet!) A downside to doing it when we did, though - the end of the reintroduction phase is dumping us straight into Valentine's Day and Bryant's birthday week. Fingers crossed that we can maintain our newly-formed habits, despite all the treats.
I'm not going to get on a soap box about eating raw/organic/plant-based/etc., but this really was enlightening for us. You don't have to eat "rabbit food" to eat healthfully. Eating what's good for you doesn't mean you're doomed to "eat, drink, and be sad" forever and ever. All it takes is a little awareness, a dose of discipline and self-control, and probably some extra time in the kitchen. (Also, more money in the "groceries" line and less in the "eating out" line on the budget.)
A couple "funnies" from our month:
- On the "non-gluten grains" reintroduction day, when we could have rice and corn, we planned to have Chipotle. We looked forward to this day basically the whole month and were even more excited when two things happened: 1. We discovered that we could have chips (!!!), and 2. We received a BOGO coupon in the mail! This day also fell on Super Bowl Sunday, so it was nice to pretend we were having special treats while watching the game. Haha. ☺
- We took communion twice before realizing the grape juice and piece of pie crust were not compliant. Woops... Figured if that was the worst we were doing as far as "slipping up" goes, we were probably ok and took it, anyway, the rest of the month.
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| Here are a few of the yummy things we made/ate! |
Thanks for sticking with me and for reading! Happy to answer any questions you have, as always.
If you've done Whole30 or a similar plan, we'd love it if you shared any tried-and-true recipes!
Healthfully,
Kensy
Favorites of the day:
"The Greatest Showman" soundtrack
having CFA on gluten reintroduction day!!
baby-initiated peek-a-boo
