Fluffy Does Whole30

[UPDATE 11-19-2013: I am going to post an updated review soon, based on my impressions AFTER completing my 30 days and reintroing some of the food groups. It really did change my life!!]

Today is Day 30 of my first time doing a Whole30 eating plan (Whole9Life). I am happy to report I stuck with the program and did not "cheat" or eat off plan once for the whole 30 days! It was not easy some days, for various reasons, but I took it one meal, one day at a time.

I did not set out to do this eating plan to lose weight, although I know I have lost some. I will weigh myself tomorrow morning for an official count. No matter what the scale says, though, I look different. People have really commented within the last week that they can tell I've lost weight. This is absolutely the smallest I have ever been as an adult - even smaller than as a newlywed 20 year old!

I follow some people on Instagram who have followed this plan, and at first I was intimidated by the idea, but the food photos looked so yummy! I was intrigued, so I did a bit of research. No dairy, grains, sugar or legumes for 30 days?! We do eat some gluten-free meals by default sometimes...but I often serve rice, oatmeal, quinoa or cornbread. Like most moms of little kids, sandwiches are default lunches on busy days. I did a one day trial the day before my first 10k just to see if I could do it. I do admit I put sugar, but no milk, in my coffee that day. I survived the day, so I decided to do it! Then the next day I decided not to do it. Then later that day I decided...what do I have to lose? The NEXT day (Monday) I headed to the store with the very straightforward and simple shopping guide from the Whole9 website. Let me just say that the former graphic designer in me really appreciates the fact all of the materials are simple, easy to read, printable in ONE PAGE, and have all the information you need to just jump right in to the program. Don't overthink it. Just do it!

It was definitely a different store trip than usual. I think 3/4 of my cart had FRESH items in it. I thought we had eliminated most processed food from our diet...but this plan taught me otherwise! I had to totally revamp my kitchen counter storage. Instead of a basket of granola and cereal bars, I have a basket of squash, root veggies and onions. Tada! Fall decorations - DONE.

The next day - Tuesday, October 1 - was the first day!! We ate eggs every single day for breakfast for an entire 30 days. Good thing I love eggs! I really enjoyed making lots of squash, even if I did discover that my husband had maxed out his appreciation for spaghetti squash growing up. Oops! He does love butternut squash, though. We also had acorn and kuri. Kuri was not my favorite, but I tossed the remains into some chili another day. ;) Squash is best, to me, cubed and roasted. We love the taste and texture best that way. It's also pretty good halved or quartered and roasted, for a creamier taste and texture.

Fortunately, my kids love protein. I put my crockpot to good use about 4-5x a week. Pork, chicken, beef, chili, soup...we ate it all! I also really like that we did not waste any food or leftovers. Every scrap got eaten! I couldn't believe it some weeks when I didn't even have room in the fridge for all the food...and five days later, there were empty shelves! I wish I had weighed and measured the kids because I am sure they have both grown this month. Nutritionally dense food for the win!!

Why did I do this program? I really wanted to see if I could clear up some redness and breakouts on my face that I believe are due to rosacea. Some of the online forums indicated people had seen positive results when limiting dairy and sugar, and for some people, grains. This plan seemed the least gimmicky and easiest to implement out of all the similar eating plans.

I did not see the results I was hoping for. I still have some redness and new breakouts on a near-daily basis. So that was disappointing. My facial breakouts always flare and wane, but they were especially bad after I ran outside in the heat this summer (exercise, sweat/heat and sun ALL irritate rosacea!!) I realized after I did not see results after the first week - when most people saw their skin improve - that I would probably not. Then I started delving into the forums on the Whole9 website. All these people were talking about improved energy, better sleep, better skin, better digestion, and a resolve to never go back to dairy/grains/whatever was irritating them before. I have seen...none of those results. It's a bit of a bummer. I must disclose the fact that my 20 month old is still breastfeeding and wakes a few times at night...so that COULD explain the lack of sleep. ;)

However, I started seeing a common theme in many of the posts of people who felt remarkable in week 2 or 3...they previously consumed alcohol in some capacity, but many of them did so in large (to me) quantities - 1/2-1 bottle of wine a night, several beers over a weekend. Well...of COURSE they are sleeping better, have more energy, less bloat, fewer skin breakouts, etc! I don't drink. At all. So it makes sense that if there is something common that a lot of people react to, I will not see those results if it was not present in my previous diet.

I also believe after completing this plan that I am not sensitive to dairy or grains. I have had NO change in my digestion. I was not unhappy before, or expecting to see a dramatic difference. I am processing at the same rate as before with similar results. Do you like how I just talked about my bathroom habits in the most generic terms possible? Don't worry, I'll save the gory details for my upcoming cloth diapers posts. ;) The real test will be when I reintroduce those items. I'm not going to go full tilt tomorrow morning (so I say now...) but want to take it easy and not shock my system should it react.

The hardest part for me was not resisting forbidden food - it was food prep. With the exception of 3 meals eaten out with friends (where I had a salad and took my own protein and olives to add), I cooked every.single.meal.from.scratch. I have slaved over my stove more than 80 times in October. I am really happy I have more than one skillet that can go in the dishwasher! And I have a new, deeper love for my jelly roll pans as roasting dishes. I had a hard time staying not hungry for the first two weeks, as I really tried to not snack, and to follow the meal guides when eating. I finally realized I needed to add an extra meal (usually a mini one) as a breastfeeding mommy, and to eat a sweet potato every day. And fat. Mmmm avocado, olives and coconut...staples for me now!

I would encourage anyone to try this plan. It is finite and it is highly doable. We have discovered some new favorite foods! My daughter has eaten way more green stuff in the last month than in the rest of her life added up, I think! She requests menus made of the food we have been eating! Her requests for desserts or sweets decreased noticeably. It is a plain fact that there is Celiac Disease in my husband's family history, and someone in my household could have it and show symptoms one day. I am happy to know some great recipes to have on hand for a day when we all might go gluten- or grain-free. Plus, if either child (or my husband) have CD, a plan like this would limit further digestive damage.

I would be happy to answer any questions you might have! I will try to share some of my favorite combinations in another post! Stay tuned!

Until next time,
Fluffy

Howdy!

Hello, blogging world! I have missed you. I'm new to Blogger but not new to blogging. I wrote a lot more before kids. It's time to get back to it!

About me: I'm a stay at home mommy to two kids - Chickadee, age 4, and Dude, age 1. I was formerly what might be considered fluffy (a bit...soft) but I shed weight after having Dude - without too much effort - other than eating less processed food and running a few times a week. Fluffy also refers to my year-long love of cloth diapers. Don't judge - I'll explain it all in an upcoming post. I'll tell you all about the biggest question - POOP. (sorry. It is a mommy blog, after all!)

I love to cook and am about to wrap up my first Whole 30 eating challenge. I also love to bake and was afraid my oven would miss me this month when I wasn't doing any baking. Little did I know I would be roasting veggies on a daily basis! I'll share some of my favorite recipe creations soon!

I'm a former band nerd turned current band nerd. That's right, after 16 years, I dragged the flute out of the closet and joined a community band. It is satisfying in a way I had no idea it could be. I had a rough transition to mommyhood, but I feel like I am finally getting to a point where I can have activities I enjoy that I can share with my family, but are largely for fulfilling something within myself (running and music).

I'll be bringing back some of my favorite old posts from my previous blog. I wish I had a way to import all the old entries, but I don't think there is. So you'll have to be content with pick and choose entries every so often.

Well, that's my first post on this new home! I can't wait to get some of the words floating around in my brain down on the screen soon.

Until then,
Fluffy