A few months ago I decided it was finally time to get back on track with Paleo. (In case you’re totally lost, check back here, here and here to read a little bit more about my decision to become Paleo and what being Paleo means.) While part of my decision to become Paleo was due to health problems after college, the biggest part of my decision came from a desire to learn to eat clean. I wanted to commit to only putting healthy, natural foods into my body and I did it cold turkey– no pun intended. About six months ago– June 10, 2012 to be exact– J and I emptied our cabinets of prepackaged, un Paleo foods and made the first steps toward a Paleo lifestyle.
And the rest is history… well kind of.
As you may or may not know, I have had some major #PaleoFails over the past few months and sooner or later was living more of a solely gluten free life, than strict Paleo. Maybe it’s because of the recent holiday seasons– or because I just love cheese and corn way too much– but it became increasingly difficult to cut out certain foods.
Therefore, in an effort to start fresh in 2013 and kick start my Paleo lifestyle again, I decided to do a Whole30 starting January 3rd.
So you may be wondering, what exactly is Whole30?
The Whole30 is based on a Paleo framework, but restricts some foods that might be considered “Paleo” in nature. While the exact definition–and acceptable foods– of Paleo varies based on who you ask, the idea is that that we are healthier when we mimic the nutrition of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. On the other hand, the goal of the Whole30 is to eliminate all foods that may be having a negative psychological or physiological effect on how you look, feel and live. Therefore, some technically “Paleo” foods (like honey, or desserts made with almond flour) are ruled out for the duration of your program.
I know what you’re thinking. This is a bit crazy, a bit extreme, a bit nuts! No coffee? How will you eat out? Is this even possible? And how are you ever going to live without dessert?
Believe me, I’ve asked myself all of the same questions. This is something that I have decided is necessary to get my butt back in gear. Plus, there is something that I am eating– probably the corn or cheese– that is making my tummy all wonky and I need to figure out what it is.
I am hoping that the next 30 days will change my life, that it will change the way I think about food, change my tastes, and change my habits and cravings.
I’m not saying it is going to be easy. It is going to be hard, really hard– as in I want to cry when I think about not having my morning cup of coffee or my afternoon cup of coffee. It is going to take patience, planning, and a whole lot of willpower. But I can do it.
I vow to eat clean. I vow to keep track of my eating, sleeping and work out patterns over the next 30 days. I vow to do the Whole30. And, of course, I vow to keep you updated!
Have you ever thought of doing the Whole30? Are you motivated to start with me? Share below!