My Take on Whole 30

Whole 30... let's discuss.
Link to read my original Whole 30 post.

Did we go the entire 30 days? 
No. We did not cheat, we did not have a "slip". Half way through the 22nd day I called him at work and said I was no longer interested in this, that I was finding myself angry and resentful. I encouraged him to keep going but he chose to stop as well. We chose to end it.

Why did I stop when I was so close to finishing and had put in 3 weeks already? 
I realised half way through week 3 that I wasn't eating. Just the thought of making myself something compliant took too much energy. I no longer wanted eggs, a chicken breast for "meal one" (breakfast) made my stomach turn and eating nothing but nuts and bananas is not healthy. Honestly I was just sick and tired of thinking about food and what my next meal was going to be. I was done.

Does Whole 30 work (in my opinion)?
Yes. We saw results right away. Increased energy. Thinning out/bloat leaving. Skin clearing up. Cravings getting weaker & weaker- some gone still (sugar). Sleeping better. Sleeping through the night.

Were there side effects?
Yes, but not many. I noticed immediately my craving for sugar! Wow, was it intense a few days. There were certain days that all I could think about was sugar and eating! I felt like I was going crazy, I was irritable, couldn't focus, couldn't make up my mind, and did not accomplish anything on those days.
The increase in energy did not last. Half way through the second week I was sluggish and had a hard time waking up.

Was Whole 30 hard/difficult?
It wasn't hard, it was however, incredible time consuming and expensive! We both felt like all we were doing was preparing food. We found there was no place to eat out if you were on the run so you had to have something with you all the time! There is also no "quick" food like sandwich meat available in Edmonton that was compliant. I searched and searched. There are options in the USA but not here. Sad. We spent 2-3x the amount on groceries. That is a lot of money, too much money to keep up with on our budget. We are saving for trips this summer plus a trip to Disneyland and buying these groceries really dug into that. Eating healthy and buying "the best choices" is expensive. It is out of reach for many families and that is really shitty and completely backwards! I think it is incredibly unfortunate that that is the world/economy we live in. One where processed crap is easier to access. I could go on and on about this issue but that is a whole other post.
Below are just some of the examples of items I bought for Whole 30 and the item I would usually buy and the price difference.
On Whole 30                                                    Usual Buy
Cashew Butter $10.99/ 500g                                Peanut Butter $7.49/2kg
Extra Lean Ground Beef $6.50/package                 Lentils $2.79/900g
Steak $26-$30 for 5-6 steaks                                Didn't buy steak
Cashews $2.50/100g                                            Almonds $10.99/1.36kg
**Almonds were compliant but not the first choice, I bought almonds, walnuts, pecans & hazelnuts for a total of $69!
Coconut Milk $2.50/can                                       Milk/cream $2.50/$2.89 for 1 litre
Sweet Potatoes $1.29-$1.79 per pound                  Potatoes $5.99 for a 10lb bag
(sorry that this is all wonky, I couldn't get the formatting correct)

How are we eating now?
We have added in a few things in very small amounts. I am drinking my coffee with cream and no sugar. The no added sweetener is a huge win for me. I also kicked my soy creamer habit which was so loaded with things I couldn't pronounce. I was obviously ignoring that label.
I had bread and cake for my dad's birthday but other than that have had little to no gluten or other grains.
I don't feel the urge to eat something sweet after my meals like I did before. When I want something sweet I turn to fruit instead of chocolate. WIN!
I am not stressing about our food and that has made a huge difference in my overall feelings and healthy choices.

Would I do it again?
My answer right now is no. I have energy and am waking up early instead of having Anna force me out. She needs breakfast after all. I have the energy to go running and that makes me happy. Not being able to do those two things really bothered me during my 3 weeks. On the other side of it though- I fit into my cloths better. I feel more confident and my negative body talk has improved dramatically. That right there is worth every second and penny.

Would I recommend it to others?
Yes, but I don't think it's for everyone. I was fortunate to have Cory doing it along side me. I don't think we would have made it that far without each other's support & encouragement. Read the book- It Starts With Food. Read any book you can that deals with what you're putting into your body. READ YOUR LABELS! Make more informed choices. Buy local when you can. Ask questions. Choose to cut out one thing at a time.

Whole 30 - It works!

Photo 1: Day 1

Photo 2: end of week 3, 21 days on the program