Whole30 — The Final Week
As of Tuesday, I am finished with Whole30! And it has been a fantastic experience. I waited a little bit to make the final post so that I could write some details about how the transition back into “normal” foods has been going. Overall I have created a lot of great habits that I plan on continuing (preparing food weekly, eating breakfast everyday, portioning my meals correctly) and the way I look at what I put into my body has changed completely.
Final Week Reactions
The last week went way better than the week before if that is possible. It is a lot easier to get up in the morning, and I’m not finding myself as burnt out at the end of the day before starting my workouts. I have also noticed that my skin has cleared up considerably.
Transition Week Reactions
After finishing, honestly it has been more of the same. I am still preparing my sweet potato hash, still eating Whole30 compliant meals throughout the week. The only difference was I wanted to celebrate a bit, and decided to have some sushi with some friends. Everything tasted so sweet! For one of the sushi rolls it was not in a good way. One thing I noticed is that I used to be able to eat a lot of sushi rolls without too much of a problem, but definitely felt a little more than full after just the two.
The Results
And here we have what some people I think are looking for: the results! You are not supposed to take measurements of any kind during the program, so while I have seen visual changes in myself and others have commented I haven’t really had any tangible numbers to attach to that. Unfortunately I didn’t have the foresight to take before and after pictures, so the numbers will have to do.
Before starting Whole30 I was at 16.5% body fat. After Whole30 that went down to 9%. I lost a total of 15 pounds during the course of the month. I actually weigh as much as I did in high school with half the body fat. I am especially happy with these numerical results because my main concern going in was that I would lose muscle mass, but my results show that I was able to maintain and build my muscle mass through the program.
Closing Thoughts
While Whole30 does seem like another trendy diet (and maybe it is) I have definitely found a lot of value in the process that Whole30 emphasizes — looking at the ingredients in your food, finding alternatives for unhealthy habits, and getting rid of cravings. I am continuing Whole30 for now, but I don’t plan on living by the Whole30 rules for the rest of my life, however I do plan on integrating these new habits and food awareness into my daily life. If you are thinking about trying, just give it a shot. 30 days in the grand scheme of things is nothing, and even if you fail there is definitely a lot to be learned.
For details on my journey through Whole30 feel free to check out my other posts:
