My Whole30 Experience: Week Four

Read about weeks one through three of my Whole30 experience here.

Eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, avocado

I did it, I finished a Whole30. But in celebration of true transparency, I’ll let you know that I didn’t actually complete all 30 days. Are you surprised? Maybe not, maybe you are if you know how I like to put myself in projects and how I feel really low when I can’t complete them.

But do I feel low now? A resounding no.

Was Whole30 for my? I can say it’s not.

Do I appreciate Whole30? Absolutely.

The feedback I’ve received from nearly everyone who knows me and who has asked how Whole30 has been going is that they know I eat pretty clean already so some of the positive effects of Whole30 I’m simply not going to feel.

To recap: I usually eat a lot of pasta, but it’s been “healthier” varieties over the past year or so. I’m talking chickpea pasta, brown rice pasta, black bean pasta, semolina flour vs. just white flour. I’ve made that transition in the name of less white carb consumption and honestly, there are so many great options nowadays that if you’re a gluten glutton like me, you may not even be able to tell the difference in taste.

But anyway, I don’t eat many burgers or sandwiches, and when I do, I’ve been using almost exclusively lettuce buns for the past 6-7 months, way before I ventured into doing a Whole30.

I eat beans, but not too much. Same with rice. My diet has largely consisted of Whole30, with the exception of the occasional pasta, bean, rice and legumes. I have a sweet tooth (but only postpartum, thanks Juliette), but I keep that in check unless I binge on a bowl of coffee ice cream.

I guess what I’m saying is that I appreciate Whole30. I see the remarkable differences Whole30 has made in the lives of many I know, and I feel the effects in my body of eating a mostly clean, portion controlled diet. But, I’m also super pleased with my current way of eating and I feel it suits myself and my family well. I probably won’t do an exclusive Whole30 again (I didn’t notice a difference in how I felt or any physical inflammation decrease, with the exception of dairy, which I already knew about).

I made it to Day 26 with two “cheats” and I feel really good about that.