Whole30

So what is this thing called the Whole30? 
It is thirty days that will change you. I will leave it up to the website to explain it but I will tell you what it has done for me. If change is what you are looking for I hope you'll check it out. 

I think I first saw the Whole30 mentioned in a post on Instagram back in July. Something clicked and I ordered the book and jumped in head first. I began on July 14. 

I did not heed the bit about planning and not doing a Whole30 during a time with big life events and I was derailed by a three day high school reunion around day 20. I still stayed mostly compliant but not 100%

I jumped back on in August and went off the rails again in New Orleans as I was driving cross country with my daughter. I would not have passed up French Market cafe au lait and beignets, though. It would have been inhuman. 

September one rolled around and I decided to start again and this time there were no big events to get through. There were some social events but no marathon road trips or reunions with tempting non compliant buffets. 

One outcome is that I learned to cook again. My husband has been doing  most of the cooking up til now and he is now happy to share the kitchen. I am much more engaged in the planning and shopping and cooking and it has been a good change for us. He is happy to share my delicious meals although he still eats his non compliant food. He is a chocoholic - but I am not doing this for him I am doing it for me. 

Successes: my cholesterol has come down as well as my triglycerides. My blood sugar is returning to a healthier level. Still not out of the woods but no longer in imminent danger of type two diabetes. And I was right up against that number which was a scary thing.  My fingernails which were constantly breaking and shredding have grown back healthy. No more splits.

The tendonitis in my foot, which had me on disability on and off for the past two years, no longer causes me pain and I have been able to walk and go to the gym pain free. Also the swelling in my knee, which was another inflammation site is much improved. 

Alas, I am still not thin, but I have lost 25 + pounds since July. Believe me when I tell you I tried other ways including calorie counting and weighing my food, even counting steps, which was becoming impossible because of the tendonistis. So this was a last ditch effort. And for a post menopausal woman with a deficiant thyroid, losing weight is no small feat. So I am quite happy about that. 

All this and no going hungry. For me, if hunger was a part of the plan, I would have never made it.

Which leads me to this: If the Whole30 is so healthy then why quit after 30 days? My answer is that I will not be quitting. I will continue to eat this way as long as it is healthy for me. I may enjoy the occasional beignet - with no shame, and I fully intend to make some paleo treats fron the lovely recipes in my new cook books, because, um, banana pecan ice cream  . But for the main part I will still be here cooking up meals with protein, vegetables, fruit, fat and spices. The pic is me in July. As soon as I get one from now I will post it. Today I am holed up with a cold and do not feel camera friendly.