whole 30, round 2, completed!

{ 100% T R U T H }

Day 31: The day after completing 30 days of Whole30 is always filled with mixed emotions. I'm proud that I stuck to it, I feel better in my body, my clothes are looser and my body is cleansed from all the toxic foods I regularly fed it. Whole 30 is over - if I wanted to eat that mini chooclate bar that I've been hiding in my desk since Halloween I finally could, but it's almost nerve racking to start back into those bad habits and the potential rabbit hole of undoing everything we've worked at over the past thirty days! (Having a beach vacation starting in less then a week is also pretty darn good motiviation to extend this healthy eating thing and hang on for a few more days!)

If you're thinking about doing Whole30, here are some tips and tricks I've learned after doing it twice ::

 Prep, Prep, Prep

-This is the key to success. Doing a big grocery haul each week so your fridge, fruit bowls and pantry are stocked full of healthy options.

-On Sunday nights we would cut up a melon for breakfast, cut up veggie sticks for a day time snack and boil a dozen eggs for lunches. This way there are easy foods to each for in your fridge.

-The first round we actually bought some new tupperware too, so that we could cut, store and stack all the fruit and veg in the fridge!

Eating at Home & Doing the Dishes

- You will likely eat 3 homemade meals a day, and there will be a sink full of dishes each night

All of the cooking and cleaning is hard work, but it's worth it in the end!

Use Recipes

- The Whole 30 online community has a great following and there are so many wonderful, delicious recipes available to inspire your mealtime routines. You will tire of a plate full of veg and protein, so get creative!

Eating Out

- You don't have to give up going out with friends, you just need to plan ahead. Check the menu at the restaurant ahead of time to make sure there's options that are compliant. If the options are limited either suggest a different restaurant, or have a filling snack before hand. 

- A typical meal out will almost always involve an alcoholic beverage. During Whole30, I would instead order a bottle of sparkling water as a substitute.

Find a Buddy

- I would not have been able to do Whole30 if I hadn't done it with Drew. Doing it with a friend keeps you accountable and you have someone who understands the ups and downs that you experience throughout the month. Plus it's someone to share the cooking and cleaning with :)