Results
I’ve been done with the Whole30 for almost a week, so it’s time to share my results with you. I wasn’t too confident in what some of those results would be, and I was a little scared to even get on the scale. However, I was still confident in all the things that I learned. I’m also confident in the things I didn’t like about the program. I want to share those things, plus, in full disclosure, I’m sharing my weight, plus before and after pictures.
Without further adieu, the results:
The NSV’s
If you read the book, The Whole30, they talk a lot about NSV’s, or Non Scale Victories. I had quite a few of those, so that is what I’ll be sharing first.
- Food – I learned so much about food. I learned there is sugar in almost all processed food, vegetables really can taste good, things that sound weird together can be good, and you don’t have to eat sweet things for breakfast…or even breakfast foods. Leftover chicken for breakfast? Yes. Eggs on a bed of spinach? Yum. Pumpkin casserole? Yes, please.
- Vegetables – I ate and prepared so many more vegetables than I have in my entire life. My family also tried a lot of them too. Definitely a win. Snap Peas are my new favorite food. Seriously.
- Comfort – I gained so much more confidence in the kitchen. I have never felt comfortable preparing food before, and now I can prepare eggs every which way, I can make my own pesto sauce, I know the difference between chop, slice, and mince, and I can handle raw meat. That was HUGE for me.
- Pain – One of the main reasons I tried the Whole30 was to alleviate some of my back pain. I hold all my stress in my back, plus I’ve injured my lower back many times being a dancer. During these past 30 days, I have not taken one pain reliever, have not sat (or slept with) a heating pad, and actually had days where I didn’t complain about it. I still sleep with a pillow between my legs to reduce pressure, but I think the years of inflammation has decreased greatly from the decrease in sugar.
- Confidence – I made it 30 DAYS without chocolate or added sugar of any kind. I also didn’t have dairy, grains, legumes (beans, peanuts,) or any highly processed foods. If you would have asked me two months ago, I would have said no way. Now, I think I can do anything. At least related to food.
The Bad
- Heartburn – I know I mentioned it in my last post, but my heartburn really got bad. It was bad at the start of the program, got better, and then got really bad again at the end. In the beginning, I thought it was the addition of so much fat, but I was hoping my body would get used to it. I did drink a lot of carbonated water, citrus fruits and vegetables, and raw vegetables, so I’m sure that had an effect. I still need to do some investigation and figure out what’s upsetting my digestion.
- The restriction – While I understand that the Whole30 is meant to help you figure out what certain food groups do to your body, I really missed having certain groups that I thought were healthy. I still don’t think that all whole grains and all dairy is bad for you, and will not be permanently eliminating them from my diet.
- The meat – If you are a vegetarian, this program is not for you. At times, it was just too much meat for me. Sure, I ate a lot of eggs and tuna, but to some people, even that is meat. I’m not really sure how you would not feel hungry if you didn’t eat some type of meat during this program.
The Scale
Now, for the part you’ve all been waiting for. Did I lose weight? Did I gain weight?
Let me tell you something first.
If you are looking for a weight loss program, this really isn’t it. It is a program that is focused on really examining what you are putting into your body. You don’t count calories. You don’t have to exercise. You just have to watch what you are eating. It really puts a lot of focus on food, so that can be hard if you are trying to lose weight or have issues with food.
OK. Now, the big reveal.
Starting weight:
Wow. This is something I never thought I would do, but here it goes…
124 lbs
Ending weight:
121 lbs
I LOST 3 LBS!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
While this is not a huge number, I was just happy that I didn’t gain weight. I know I said I didn’t do the program to lose weight, but gaining weight would have been pretty disappointing. To say I was happy with a three-pound weight loss would be an understatement. I was ECSTATIC.
I did workout the whole time, but my workouts were definitely not up to my usual energy the first couple weeks. I didn’t really feel a change in my clothing either. Honestly, the pictures don’t look much different to me, but you can let me know.
If you have any questions for me about the program, please feel free to leave them in the comments or send me an email. Also, I highly recommend reading both books before starting the program. You can purchase them through my Amazon Affiliate link by clicking on the pictures. It will be at no additional cost to you, and will help me buy another bag of pea pods.
So, what do you think? Would you consider doing the Whole30? If you’ve completed one, what were your results?
Good job girl!! I can definitely see a difference in your pictures! I’m doing the 21 day fix right now and really hoping for results. It’s been hard to get in my workouts with 2 littles. By the way you look amazing!!
Congrats for losing 3 pounds!! I think it is crazy how there is sugar in everything!
Love,
Ivelisse | CarnationDreams.com
I like this is about eating healthy not losing weight. Which will come later.
I’ve never even heard of this program. Is it like eating paleo?
Congrats on finishing! It’s a great accomplishment considering how much temptation surrounds us everyday.
Good for you! What a good feeling that you saw some results in the right direction. And you made some lifestyle changes, which will be life long changes. Keep up the good work!
I am a vegetarian (well technically a pescetarian since I do eat fish) so when I saw the restricted foods for the whole 30 I knew I couldnt do it.. but I learned so much by reading the book! I loved following your journey!
Congrats again on finishing strong! I do think things like this are great to learn and lean less on processed foods, but still allowing yourself some of those items is good too 🙂
I’m so glad to read this. I have the Whole 30 book and have been slowly reading it because I want to do the program. I feel like this time of year is the best for starting this because of the fresh produce that’s available. Lately i’ve lost all my motivation to work out but my hubby & I are starting to eat healthier. So anyway, this is definitely a push in the right direction to get motivated!
Loved reading about this health plan. I need to check it out!
You are so tiny!
First, I think it’s awesome that you completed this AND that you have so many valuable takeaways. Eliminating processed foods/sugars from your diet to focus on a whole diet could not have been easy and I’m not sure I could do this based on the fact that I’m a veggie (who very rarely eats a bit of salmon). It’s awesome, however, to read your honest thoughts on the program overall and I really <3 that it's a no-calorie-counting program… I hate those, but I'm looking to drop a few myself and would like to try something like this.
Great work, girl! I’ve never done an official whole 30 but that’s basically how I eat every day and I can’t believe how good it makes me feel. When it comes to those other grains and dairy, I think it comes down to seeing if your body can tolerate them and how much. From there then, eating better versions that are organic and clean sources.
I’ve done the Whole 30 a few times now. I’m itching to do another one soon to reset. Such amazing benefits although I never experienced anything more than just feeling lighter and tighter. So nice to hear stories of people who have reduced pain and other benefits… really makes you realized how much food affects our bodies and lives.
Looking great girl! And more importantly that you FEEL it. 🙂
Xo
Congrats on making it through the Whole 30 and losing three pounds! That’s awesome! And it’s so awesome that it’s made you more confident in the kitchen. That’s huge! I know I’ve talked about this before, but I considered doing the Whole 30 once and decided not to. I have had issues with restricting food in the past and reading some of the information made me uneasy. I think it would be easy for me to fall into unhealthy habits regarding food restriction if I focused on it like that again. Also, I need some vegetarian meals thrown into the mix and like you said, you really need to be a meat-eater to follow this plan. But I love hearing how other people do because it is an amazing program.
Well, you definitely didn’t need to lose weight, but it was good that you took the journey since you seemed to have learned a lot. And snap peas are awesome 🙂
OMG it is so interesting to hear that you had heart burn! I am helping someone lose weight and she’s currently doing the Whole 30 (her own decision) and she suffers from extreme heart burn – really ever since she started doing it though! She hasn’t figured out what it is, and she logs her calories and I check the foods and I don’t see any food that could be it! It’s so odd. If you ever figure it out – do let me know!
PS: um, YAY TO WEIGHT LOSS!!
Way to go Shann!! I know it wasn’t easy but it was so cool to follow your journey through the Whole 30. No go enjoy some chocolate- you deserve it!
Way to go! I still need to write up my Whole30 results – I lost almost 10 pounds, but I have a lot of excess body fat that I need to get rid of, lol. I also feel like I can do anything after restricting my diet so much for 30 days – like if I can get through that, I can get through anything, lol.
Great post! I love how you weighed the pros and cons. I think this is a great program for those who want to be healthier but they don’t know where to start. However, I don’t think it’s sustainable because like you said, there are healthy foods that are restricted in this program. Way to go!!
You look amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great job!
I would be scared of getting heart burn too. It seems the more I eat, the more heartburn I get! Kudos to you for sticking to the program, you look fabulous!!
All good things to know, definitely! If you ever try it (or something similar again) try adding a tbsp of apple cider vinegar and a tspn baking soda to a little bit of water and drinking it in the morning. Both are supposed to help with digestion and heartburn!
You did awesome! I am really intrigued with what you said about the pain relief, I was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel a little while ago and I wonder if something like this would help? Of course, since I’m sure diet soda is a big no I’m not sure I could do this. 😉
You look amazing. And I think the biggest gain is learning to expand and enjoy foods that are good for your body.
Wonderful results! Ive never heard of this but I think I’m going to look into it more. It seems great.
Awesome job Shann!!! You did amazing during your journey. That’s awesome that it helped decrease the pain you had in your back,etc. I def know how it feels to have injuries from dance. It’s not fun!
you look kick ass! Good for you! Whole30 is so hard! I’ve made it through once lol
I always feel guilty that I’m not willing to try programs like this because I know that I need to eat better and this sounds like a great way to accomplish that! I love that it made you more confident in the kitchen! My husband is a great cook so i always feel a little silly in the kitchen. It would be great to gain some confidence so I’m not always turning to him asking for hep!
You did great! I am a vegetarian who eats 90% paleo based, so I DO think it’s attainable for non meat eaters, especially if you still eat eggs and fish (like I do), but it takes getting really creative!
Wow! It looks like you are doing well! I tried Whole30 this month, but wasn’t able to commit fully to it, but you’ve inspired me to give it another go!
Great job. It is hard to change your eating, but you stuck to it. When my heartburn got so bad my doctor said no more chocolate or coffee for a month. Then prilosec for two weeks. It did the trick, now no more bad breath, or heartburn. Certain things will cause the acid in your stomach to over react. But I am 20 years older than you and other things are more of my problems.
You do look different in the before and after pictures! I’m not sure it is a skinny difference, but to me, your skin looks smoother and healthier. Great job!
I did the whole 30 before too and it taught me to have s much healthier relationship with food. I actually prefer to eat this way, less processed foods. I noticed I had significantly less pain and slept better when I ate paleo.
Congratulations on sticking with the Whole 30 and completing the program! I’ve been dying to give it a try.
LiveLifeWell,
Allison
Great job, Shann! I think I might need to try this out soon!
Congrats!! That’s a huge accomplishment! I STILLLLLLL haven’t done a Whole 30 despite the fact that I’ve been aiming to for two years now! This will be the year….
It sounds like doing the program was a big win for you. I wish I could get more comfortable in the kitchen, and eat more veggies but haven’t found many I actually like. Congratulations again!
Well done on your progress Shann! It’s such a great feeling when we start to hit our goals.
Congrats on completing the Whole 30! 3lbs isn’t too bad, better than gaining! And good you learned so much about food!
Laura | Laura Aime Vous
Wow! That’s a lot of dedication! Good job on your accomplishment
Congrats on finishing!!! I’ve often thought about trying Whole30 for the NSVs that you mentioned above, specifically the confidence in the kitchen! Way to go!
Good for you for completing the Whole 30! I’m not sure I have the willpower, haha.
Great job following through! I have not done the Whole30 but my sister has and she really liked how she felt on it. I really like that it focuses on learning about whole foods, not calorie counting or is a super restrictive diet like Atkins.
Congratulations! That’s an exciting accomplishment! We aren’t following any particular diet or food plan…but we’ve been working on weeding out more carbs and processed foods. In fact, we just bought a spiralizer and plan to make zoodles tonight. It’s amazing how just a few simple changes make you feel so much better.
Great job! I often find that many recipes have too much meat in them. I end up cutting the meat portion in half usually.
I tried the Whole 30 and I quit after 3 days lol