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Okay. When I heard that people actually went for 30 days without eating any sugar, processed carbs, or dairy, all I could think were two words: HOW?! And Realllllllly?
I understood the “why”. I get it. Get healthy, detox, lose weight. Whatever. It just sounded like a radical diet-thing that people try in January and then give up by January 5th when the waiter brings the chips at the Mexican restaurant. I assumed by January 30th people were back to eating an entire frozen pizza while watching The Bachelor. Surely the only people cut out for it are personal trainers and girls who go to barre classes 7 times a week. Or so I thought.
I’m talking about Whole30.
The Whole30 program is 30 consecutive days of eating nothing but meat, fruits, veggies and eggs. That means no ranch dressing on that salad, no cream in that coffee, no dessert after dinner, no beer at the baseball game and NO CHIPS AT THE MEXICAN RESTAURANT. Ludicrous, I know.
Except this one time in June when I actually decided to do the Whole30.
I honestly blew my own mind that I survived those 30 days without cheating one time. And I didn’t just survive it….I CRUSHED IT. For the first time in my life, I stuck with a healthy eating plan for longer than 48 hours. The results were awesome. I lost about 11 lbs in those first 30 days, developed a new relationship with food, noticed glowing skin, and felt proud AF. So yeah, I would TOTES recommend it. But if you’re thinking about it for yourself (I hope you are!), read my top 10 tips for crushing the Whole30 first!
{I'm so sorry! I didn't take before and after pics! I'm the worst}
1. Read the book. Seriously. Read it.
ALERT: This is my number 1 tip and I know you want to skip this one. You’ve gotta read the book. (Order it here). Everyone who finished Whole30 before me recommended this and I’m glad I listened. Honestly, if I hadn’t read it I don’t think I would have survived the first week. The book helped me to see this as so much more than a diet and it helped me set my mindset. Thanks to the book, I never snuck a bite of my husband’s pizza or put a little Italian dressing on my salads. I never modified the plan for my own comfort because I finally understood what I would have to gain if I did this the right way. So READ THE BOOK. I personally got the audio book and listened to it when I was in the car.
2. Tell everyone.
I’m not advocating you being annoying and talking about nothing but your newfound healthy lifestyle. Let your friends eat their fries in peace or no one will want to be around you. But in the beginning, tell everyone that you’re doing this. This gives you a level of accountability that will help you to stick it out. I announced that I was doing Whole30 on my Instagram on Day1. And when I thought about cheating, I thought about how I just told 6,000 people that I was committed to this. So yeah, I didn’t cheat.
Once you let everyone know, you don’t have to talk about it all the time. Just order your salad and grilled chicken and pretend to be psyched. You’ll be fine.
3. Plan out a few go-to meals.
I know, I know. You don’t really like vegetables. But you can still do this. Decide what you do like and stock up. Y’all. I ate scrambled eggs, black coffee and sugar-free bacon or sausage EVERY MORNING for 30 days. I just woke up and knew what to do. I eventually forgot about going to Starbucks for a Vanilla Latte like 8 times a week. I also saved approximately $300k that month thanks to forgetting about the aforementioned Starbucks. #perks
Anyways, just make a few decisions so that your fridge is always stocked with Whole30 approved foods. Fruit, carrot sticks, Larabars, canned tuna, almond butter, whatever…you’re a big girl. You can do it.
4. Lookup the menu before going out to eat.
Turns out, going out to eat on Whole30 isn’t that hard at all. I had lots of yummy options! I would either just pick a protein with some grilled veggies or a baked potato, or I would opt for a salad with protein and oil/vinegar. It was hard not to eat the bread that the waiter would bring or take a bite of the amazing pasta dish that your sister just ordered. But the hardest part is placing your order. Once they bring your food, you’ll be satisfied. So just walk into that restaurant with a game plan and you’ll still have a great meal without having to cheat or cook it yourself. HOLLA.
Also, let your waiter know why you are making so many annoying substitutions. They won’t mind. I even had a waitress figure out how to make my meal Whole30 approved. Teamwork makes the dream work.
5. Make some tea after dinner.
If you are anything like me, you get a hankering to eat around 9pm. You just want a light snack like a whole tub of ice cream and 4 cheeseburgers. But to help you avoid the late-night snacking (bingeing lol), make yourself a cup of herbal tea instead. It just helps hold you over ‘till bedtime and it helps you wind down for the day. I’ve come to really enjoy my little nighttime ritual! And I wake up feeling SO much better about myself.
6. Team up with a friend.
Doing Whole30 with a friend gives you another level of accountability. I did it with one of my besties, Karhlee. We chatted every day, shared recipe ideas, and celebrated our daily wins. When we started to notice changes in our bodies and energy levels, we were both so much more motivated and keep going. When we felt like quitting, we were there to encourage one another to keep going. And we both had someone to talk to so that we didn’t annoy the crap out of our friends and family.
7. Stay focused on what it’s going to be like when you finish.
It was way easier to forego the wine when I could look forward to feeling better in my swimsuit in just a mere month. I was so decided that I would finish that I never came across a food that I was willing to give in to in exchange for all of my hard work and progress. You can do give up any kind food if it’s just for 30 days. Remember that it’s a short-term sacrifice for a long-term gain. I just told myself this:
“I have literally had thousands of slices of pizza in my lifetime. I will most likely have thousands more before I die. I can chill with the pizza for 30 days. This is not forever. This is worth it.”
Pictured below: Lake day with the fam. They drank soda. I drank sparkling water. Verdict: I survived.
8. Try new things.
Now is the perfect time to explore new fruits and veggies as well as getting creative with recipes. Not only will it prevent you from getting bored with your food options, it will also introduce you to new things that you could end up loving. Have fun with it. Go to your local farmer’s market and pick up something fresh and new. It’s always good for us to try new things! Whole30 is the best time to do that! I know you don't think you like veggies very much. Eat them anyways.
9. Talk to other people who have done it.
I loved chatting with other girls who had done Whole30 before me. They had so many tips, shared their favorite quick snacks, and told me about all kinds of fun recipes. The best part about talking to them was that I realized that if they could do it for 30 days, then so could I! And so can you!
10. Read up on the Whole30 timeline.
If you click here you can read about what to expect while you complete Whole30. This was singlehandedly one of the most helpful things to get me through the whole month. I learned that some days would be harder than others. When I knew about how I would feel on the front end, it was so much easier to keep going and push past the hard days and cravings. The schedule is very accurate and I enjoyed checking off each day on my calendar as I got through another day!
In conclusion, I hope this little list helps you to understand the following:
- You are stronger than the foods you think you can’t live without.
- If I can do it, you sure as heck can too.
- A made-up mind is the most powerful tool you can have in finishing strong
- If you do this, there will be no cheating or moderations. You owe this to yourself to do it alllllllll the way for 30 days.
- You’re gonna look LITERAL AMAZE in your bikini next month so #dontquit