I've been on my health journey for a long time, but it wasn't until after having my son that I really committed to not only working out regularly, but cleaning up my nutrition too. I'm one of those weird people that really ENJOYS working out, so although it was hard for me at first to get into a good routine with it...once I did I was hooked.
Nutrition on the other hand has been a very different story. I've spent a lot of time getting to the point where I live a pretty consistent 80/20 when it comes to food. 80% of the time I eat super clean, 20% of the time I let myself indulge...a glass of wine, pizza, Mexican food...the not-so-healthy foods I love in moderation.
That being said, after the past couple years of being consistently healthy, there are a few things I've started noticing. Things that, after a lot of research, I think the foods I am eating (or the foods I should stop eating) could help to remedy.
Why am I doing the Whole30?
I have a few reasons for wanting to do the Whole30, but the BIGGEST reason is I struggle with chronic fatigue. I get my energy boosts throughout the day from my coffee, meals and Shakeology, but I don't have consistent energy throughout the day and tend to fade off and feel lazy in the afternoons. I want constant energy so that I'm more productive in my day, can be more present and energetic with my family and so that I stop feeling tired...period!
As well, my skin has always been an issue. I break out easily and my skin gets very dry no matter what products/masks I use (even though I stay VERY hydrated throughout my day).
Lastly, bloating! This isn't a regular for me, but I've noticed after certain meals I tend to bloat a lot more than others and it's just an ICK feeling.
SO...I'm doing Whole30 to not only help remedy those issues, but figure out what exactly is causing those issues so that I can lead my healthiest life and make my body function at it's peak all the time!
So what is this Whole30 thing?
I'm not going to go into detail about what the program is (I definitely recommend reading the book yourself if you're interested in doing your own Whole30) but I want to give you the gist of what it is I'll be doing.
The intention of the Whole30 is to reset your body and mind when it comes to food. There are so many processed foods, added sugars, grains and other ingredients out there that our bodies just don't need, and that don't satisfy our bodies. One example I LOVE from the book...think prime rib vs. Oreos. When you are eating prime rib, with every bite you are more and more full and you want prime rib less and less. Why? Because your body is taking the nutrients from the prime rib and using them as needed, signaling to our brains that we've had enough. Oreos don't have the nutrients your body needs though, so you can eat an entire carton and although your stomach may be full, your body will still be craving MORE because it never got the nutrients it needed.
SO...during the Whole30 you cut out the foods your body doesn't need so that you are feeding it only with foods that will make you HEALTHIER with each bite!
What will I be eating?
If you're anything like me you are looking at the list of "NO" foods first and maybe panicking a little. I love my wine, and no cheese? Not to mention no bread of any kind or sugar... AH! How will I survive?
This has to be the biggest thing I was nervous about before committing to the Whole30. I'm a carbaholic and I don't really like my veggies (Shakeo to the rescue on that one!!) But if I want to make a change, I have to be willing to MAKE A CHANGE, so instead I started focusing on the "YES" list! There is SO much there, with no limitations on portions but instead the guideline of "eat until you're satisfied". And the best part, because I'll be eating whole, natural foods my body will get full faster because my brain will signal I've got the nutrients I need!
Here's my meal plan for the first few days to give you an idea:
Day One:
Breakfast: 2 eggs over medium, sweet potato and pepper hash, 2 pieces chicken sausage and blackberries
Lunch: Mexican Chicken Boats with veggies and avocado/mayo dip
Dinner: Spaghetti squash with ground beef and tomato sauce
Day Two:
Breakfast: Leftover spaghetti squash and ground beef with 2 eggs
Lunch: Mexican Chicken Boats with blackberries and strawberries
Dinner: Perfect Salmon with broccoli, mushrooms and yellow squash in a red pepper sauce
I definitely won't be going hungry, I plan to drink my Shakeology for a mid-morning snack and I even picked up some Whole30 approved Larabars for a snack in case I'm hungry in between my big meals!
(***A side-note on Shakeology: I know that this is NOT a part of the plan and means I am not doing Whole30 to a T. That being said, I feel very strongly about drinking this every day so I will not be giving it up, but instead will be switching to Vegan while doing Whole30. That's all I'm gonna say about that!)
What am I nervous about?
I want to keep it real, because I'm betting you may have some of the same concerns I did when I first considered doing Whole30. Not only did the veggies thing (or more, the NO CARB thing) make me nervous...I had some other hesitations too.
- I don't like to cook. My husband is the cook in our family and the idea of spending time in the kitchen with ME cooking makes me a little scared!
- It'll be too time consuming. I have a toddler and I work from home...how am I going to fit cooking all these meals into my day?
- Restrictions make me think even MORE about food...I'll have too strong of cravings and end up splurging/failing.
Sound familiar? Or maybe you have a list of hesitations I haven't even thought of yet. This brings me to my final point...
What do I hope to accomplish?
- More energy
- Better skin
- No more bloating
- Easier time falling asleep at night
- New favorite recipes and ingredients I wouldn't have tried otherwise
- Learn to enjoy (and maybe even get good at) cooking
- Have a better relationship with food...no more rewarding myself with sugar and wine!
- Help my family be even healthier!!!
It's 30 days, and then as I slowly add things I truly do love and want back in to my eating routine (wine, pasta and cheese for example) I can really pinpoint what foods are causing the negative effects so that I know, 100%, how my body functions BEST!
Any questions about what I'm doing feel free to email me at shanahowellfitness@gmail.com, hop on over to Facebook or check out #whole30shana on IG and follow along these next 30 days! Can't wait!
xoxo
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