It may not seem totally shocking to hear that a health coach is going to do the Whole30. Maybe it does. You probably imagine that I eat clean 98% of the time, and this is really no departure from that.
The real truth is that lately I've felt like a fraud. As a coach, you must practice what you preach. How could I tell my coaching clients to eat one way but then at night reach for the wine and cookies way too often? Nope. Not okay.
Sure, I did eat pretty clean most of the time. I knew I was not where I should be in terms of my nutrition, however. You know when your body can be better. You know when you are not operating at the top of your game.
I’d have real good streaks and then when a vacation or birthday hit, that would throw me clean off the wagon (and sent the wagon down the hill in flames)
I was craving sugar ALL the time. I’d want sugary coffee every single day at 2 or 3pm, and I would be so grumpy if I didn’t get it. I would trick myself into thinking I was ordering a “healthier version” of my Starbucks by getting the sugar free options or the low-calorie options.
The ugly truth is that my body was so dependent on sugar (and caffeine) it’s not even funny.
Who else thinks (or thought) that just because they survived another day of parenting tiny people that they deserve a glass (or three) of wine?? Yup, I was in that camp too. My nightly glass of wine may seem harmless to some. It could be for most. But I knew this was a slippery slope. The sugar and alcohol were the perfect storm to cope with my first summer with both kids at home while trying to run a full-time business. Yikes. I can tell you first hand that the wine is not serving you. It wasn’t serving me. Even just a glass would affect me the next morning. Slow, sluggish, and dehydrated. That’s no way to live. Not at all.
So why the Whole30?
One of my 1:1 coaching clients was talking to me about their joint pain and inflammation. The question of an elimination diet came up from them, and that sparked a lot of curiosity in me. I started researching elimination diet, and enter the Whole30.
I listened to one podcast from Melissa Hartwig, the co-creator of the Whole30, and I was immediately sold on trying it out for myself. I knew that I could take my audience on the Whole30 journey with me and have instant accountability, too! That’s exactly what I needed. External accountability. Yes, the accountability coach needs accountability. Isn’t it ironic? Don’t ya think?
What exactly IS the Whole30?
The Whole30 is NOT a diet. Let’s get that straight. It’s an experiment to find out what foods your body does not tolerate/digest well. You eliminate several highly inflammatory food groups for 30 days, and then you slowly reintroduce foods one group at a time to pinpoint your trigger foods.
If you’re curious, check out the official rules for the program here.
This experiment is not for the faint of heart. You’ve got to truly decide (and prep) before you dive in. One of my favorite quotes in the book, giving you a huge dose of tough love is as follows, “It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard.”
Yup. Like I mentioned, this is not just something you dive into. You’ve got to have your mind in the right place. You’ve got to put in the prep work, too. You can’t just wake up one day and decide that you’re going to try the Whole30 that day.
I also believe that you shouldn't try the Whole30 as a weight-loss diet or a quick fix diet to lose a few post-vacation lbs or shed some inches before a wedding. I HATE diet culture thinking. It's extremely toxic. Please please please...if you take anything away from this blog post hear me on this.
I did NOT do the Whole30 to lose weight. I did NOT do the Whole30 to lose inches. I did NOT do the Whole30 to fit into my pre-baby clothes (those are long gone anyways). It's. Not. A. Freaking. Diet.
I DID the Whole30 to FEEL better. I did the Whole30 to heal my gut and digestive system. I did the Whole30 to get rid of caffeine and sugar cravings mid day. I did the Whole30 to finally know what groups of food my body cannot tolerate well and diminishes my performance overall. I did the Whole30 to get back to cleaner food that includes real, whole, unprocessed food. Food that comes from food.
In my next blog post, I’ll share exactly how I prepped and planned for my first week of Whole30, and how the first week went. I want to be as transparent as I can while also being helpful. So follow along on this journey with me, and let’s heal our digestive system and kick those sugar cravings to the curb. For good.
Let’s DO THIS!