Whole30

Well, the day is almost here: I am officially starting Whole30 tomorrow.

I am sure several of you have heard about Whole30, but if you haven’t it is essentially a different way of eating for 30 days. You basically only eat “whole” foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, meats, etc. It is basically a very strict paleo diet and there is no alcohol allowed. You can read more about it on the Whole30 website if you are curious about what you can eat.

I am trying to not think of it like a diet, but more of a lifestyle change. I want to come out of this with a better understanding of food and which foods fuel me vs. what make me feel like crap. I do not think I will live my life like this forever, but I want to try to eat like this 80-90% of the time after I am completed. I am trying to find a better balance with my eating habits, so I am hoping that Whole30 will teach me what I can live without.

My biggest fear is cutting out red wine. This will probably be my biggest battle over the next 30 days. Cookies, cake, candy, etc.? I don’t eat that stuff anyways, so I am not tempted by those treats. I am going to try to find creative ways to distract myself from drinking wine. Maybe I will find a new hobby? Work out more? Who knows!

I know red wine is good in moderation, but I drink too much of it. It is typically a nightly ritual for me, and I really need to break that habit. I have noticed my body changing in ways that I don’t like, so I am hoping that cutting out the alcohol for a month will help to reset my body.

Other than the wine, I know there will be other hurdles as well. Below, I have summed up what I think my top 3 challenges will be over the next month.

My Personal Challenges:

• 2 weeks of work travel – yikes!
  • I will need to get really good at saying no.
  • I am planning on taking an Uber to Whole Foods so I can stock up on approved foods.
  • I will have to say no to pretty much every catered lunch.
• Saying no to red wine (already talked about this above).
• Eating at home all the time
  • We go out to eat at least 1/4 of the time, so this is going to be a huge adjustment for us.
  • We like to cook, but we also like to go out. It’s our form of entertainment!

I will plan on doing a weekly recap of my progress and how I am feeling, so stay tuned if you want to hear more! I am excited to share my journey with y’all. I will also be posting daily updates on my Instagram: run4cabernet. Follow me on that account if you are curious what I am eating on a day-to-day basis.

In addition to clean eating, I want to make it a priority to work-out every single day for 30 days. I have not been doing a great job of this in January due to travel, being sick and other lame excuses.

This is a brief outline of what I am planning on doing for work-outs:

• Monday – Kayla Itsines BBG
• Tuesday – Run 3-5 Miles
• Wednesday – Kayla Itsines BBG
• Thursday – Run 3-5 Miles
• Friday – Kayla Itsines BBG
• Saturday – Run 6-8 Miles
• Sunday – Yoga or a Bike Ride

I don’t think this will be too demanding of a work-out schedule. BBG only takes about 30 minutes and the shorter runs should only take 30-40 minutes. I always have 30 minutes in my day, so I do not want to make excuses this month. It is just 30 minutes.

Part of my motivation behind all of this is our Cancun trip in early March. I have not felt confident in a swim suit for a while, so I want to re-gain confidence and find out what healthy looks like on my body. I will never be stick skinny or a model, but I know I can look a lot better than I do now!

Anyways, this is my main focus for the month of February. I am looking forward to a challenge and seeing what results this program will bring.

Has anyone else ever done Whole30? Do you have any great recipes to share? Tips and tricks? Let me know!

-Catheryn