Whole 30 Recap Days 22-30…and beyond

I truly believe completing Whole 30 is the best thing I’ve done since I started distance running. I have to admit, up until week 3 I shrugged when people said this was life-changing. Eye-opening? Yes. Learning experience? Yes. But I was hesitant to say life changing. Well, it’s been over 3 weeks since day 30 and guess what? I’m still following most of the rules…and will probably stick to the Whole 30 template/Paleo for the rest of my life because it works so freakin well. So I’ll say it – life changing.

The Numbers

Before getting into all the subjective stuff here are the numbers. In 30 days I lost:

• 12 lbs
• 1″ Bust
• 1.5″ Waist
• 1″ Hips

I had just gotten measured for a bridesmaids dress a few days before Day 1…so it looks like I’m gonna have to get that baby altered. Esp since I’m still losing…I’m down over 15 lbs now, 3.6% BF according to the scale at the gym, which has always been consistent.

To be honest, no one really noticed I gained almost 20 lbs to being with. I noticed. My clothes definitely noticed. But when I would posted a “OMG look how fat I’ve gotten” blog, most people said they didn’t notice. And since only a total of 5 people know this blog exists, I give you my before and after:

I wore the same outfit so you can hopefully see how the clothes hang differently. 

But we all know the numbers are a bonus. So let’s talk about the awesome things you can’t measure.

The Awesome

Running: I cannot believe how awesome my runs are. I’m running 6 days/week now, killing my speed work and tempos. Finishing long runs. Getting up before work to run, doing cross training, loving 2 a day work outs. I’m pulling 40+ mile weeks and I feel fantastic…not drained at all..in fact it’s hard to rest on my rest day. Starting my marathon training 2 weeks into the diet was a perfect storm. The tiger blood kicked in just in time…and I’ve never felt stronger.

17 Mile trail run fueled with coconut water, S! caps, and a Lara bar

Energy: Although I don’t feel bouncing off the walls energetic, I feel good.  I’m still a huge night owl and have trouble going to sleep at normal times. It’s normal for me to stay up until 2 am on a work night just because…so I don’t think I can say I’m sleeping more or easier…but I know I’m waking up a million time easier. My job doesn’t require me to be in by a certain time so in the past I’d snooze and snooze and snooze. Now I’m up and alert the first time. Even though I still have the feeling I’d like more sleep….it’s like getting up at the crack of dawn for a race or an early flight for a vacation…but on a normal day. I’ll run before work and experience no crash.

Cravings: Gone. I used to spend all day thinking about what I was going to consume next. I was snacking constantly and felt like I was always starving. I was thinking about food more than anything else.

Skin: Really clear. Like if I don’t wear make up no one accuses me of being sick or tired. That’s pretty stinkin awesome.

No Makeup

Asthma: I was super skeptical about this one, but reintroducing gluten into the diet after the 30 days were up confirmed it – the diet made a HUGE difference with my breathing. I’ve decided to keep it out of my diet for good, which means giving up much of my beloved beers. Gluten-free beer just isn’t the same…not that I’ve tried it since making this discovery. I’ve permanently given up beer*. That tells you a lot about how much better I feel.

*ok, I might give in for something REALLY special like a marathon PR….but that’s a 1-2 times a year thing.

The Not-So-Awesome

No Beer: Have I ever mentioned how much I love beer? It’s like I broke up with my boyfriend. It was the ONLY think I missed through the 30 days…and the first non-compliant thing I had. It broke my heart when I woke up the morning after ONE beer with the familiar sore throat and constricted airways…something I hadn’t felt in weeks. I went back on Whole 30 for a few more days…then tried beer again. Same feeling. Sad….so sad.

Grocery Shopping/Cooking all the time: I live by multiple grocery stores, so it’s not too much of a hassle…but I am shopping about every 3 days to get fresh produce and other things I use more than expected (eggs, coconut milk, red curry). It’s a bit annoying and at times expensive because a trip to get 3 things means 15 things. Though I’m saving money not buying beer all the time…and my budget is working out to be roughly the same.  I’m getting better at it, but me and cooking aren’t exactly bff.

I can go on…but none of the cons will come close to outweighing the pros. I’m still learning what foods are good for me…and some foods I’m not even bothering to reintroduce (like cheese). There are times I don’t feel as fabulous due to random items, but it’s easy enough to figure out what it was and go back on Whole 30 for a few days to get back on track. Oh, and can I say again I’m feeling awesome?

Sorry I’m not sorry