So I’ll break it down for you. They do it quite nicely over at Whole30 but I know sometimes you just want to know what other people say. Sometimes you just might think that it’s too much or too hard or IMPOSSIBLE. I’m no one special. I don’t have anything that sets me above and beyond. I’m just a regular person with too much to do and too little time. I have faults and I have awesomeness but I am nowhere near perfect. I struggle with life’s curve balls and the little things that creep up daily. We all have our downfalls, struggles, success, wins, etc. It’s how we deal with them that either makes us or breaks us.

But to me at the end of the day, if I’m not aiming to be healthy in all aspects of my life then I’m letting myself down and my children down too. This blog is aimed at Fitness and Health. More specifically CrossFit and Clean Eating. And if you know me, I can totally kick ass but as you may have learned I can let it all slip away in the blink of an eye. I’m HUMAN! It happens.

So I’m back at focusing on CLEAN EATING. I’m true to my CrossFit but I’ve let the eating get in the way of performance and progress. I was at my best last January-April when I was following Whole30. And to me Whole30 is PERFECT. But even after success, I just flushed it all down the toilet shortly after. Yup, you can feel good and KNOW how good to be but it’s still so easy to fall down, dig a hole and stay in the hole.

There is a science to it all with Whole30. The Hartwigs are good about backing up their statements. They have the research behind them, but they don’t BORE you with it all. Some folks NEED that science but it’s not necessary. It’s not exact to each person. There are days you have to experiment to what makes you feel good. Do you need more fat in your day? Are you eating enough carb dense veggies? There are days you will feel exhausted and days you are full of energy. For a lot of folks this is NEW. Clean eating is NEW. There are so many “easy to eat” processed products out there, some folks forget what REAL FOOD is. But in the end, hopefully, you are learning what makes you tick on the inside. What foods are best for you, ratios, portions, etc. Whole30 is a reboot for your health – the brain, the gut, and your immune system.

Whole30 is an elimination program. Cut out all the junk. Eat only real foods. Follow their guidelines on eating proteins, veggies and fats. FOLLOW THEM WELL. You will see results. You will feel better. You should lose weight. You should learn to appreciate and like new REAL FOODS.

You CANNOT half ass the program. If you do – You will fail. You will give up. You will quit. You can’t say “it’s just this one meal I’m cheating on day ___, I’ll be back to it tomorrow.” You NEED to commit to the full 30 days. Sometimes even longer. NO CHEATING. But LESS than 30 days is not going to do it. Below are their foods to cut out. You can find them HERE as well with more details. The idea is to keep processed, sugary junk out for good. For some folks it’s easy to do, for folks like me…. well it can be hard. I’m a glutton for punishment. My body will tell me the food is not good for me but my brain is stubborn.

• Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, coconut sugar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize.

• Do not consume alcohol in any form, not even for cooking. (And it should go without saying, but no tobacco products of any sort, either.)

• Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.

• Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).

• Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat or sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir, yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… with the exception of clarified butter or ghee. (See below for details.)

• Do not eat white potatoes. This is somewhat arbitrary, but if we are trying to change your habits (chips and fries) and improve the hormonal impact of your food choices, it’s best to leave white, red, purple, Yukon gold, and fingerling potatoes off your plate.

• Do not consume carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.

• No Paleo-ifying baked goods, desserts, or junk foods. Trying to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold will ruin your program faster than you can say “Paleo Pop-Tarts.” This means no desserts or junk food made with “approved” ingredients—no banana-egg pancakes, almond-flour muffins, flourless brownies, or coconut milk ice cream. Don’t try to replicate junk food during your 30 days! That misses the point of the Whole30 entirely.

Are you running away now? I know it’s a lot to think about but it’s totally worth it! I promise. If you feel after 30 days you just can’t LIVE without something, reintroduce it, see how you feel. You experiment from there. If you just can’t let go of the fact that WHEAT is bad then bring it back in. Do you turn into a hot sniffling mess? Get bloated and achy? Maybe that wheat wasn’t such a good idea. The same goes for sugars, dairy and other grains. Just cut them out though for the 30 days and see what happens before you decide to go back to your old ways.

I started yesterday and had a SUCCESSFUL DAY ONE! I planned/prepped/cooked over the weekend. It took time. It is work. It’s not a snap of your fingers but it’s not draining either. You don’t have to be a chef to be successful, you just have to make a plan. KNOW what you will eat for at least one week at a time. Where there’s a will there’s a way.

If and when you commit to the program, you will find that there is a good community in the forums. Find folks you can relate too. There are numerous websites and blogs out there that share meal plans, ideas, tips, etc. But if the interwebs aren’t for you then SHARE the program with friends and family. Challenge your family to do this. Make it fun. Learn together!

If your still not sure then check out It Starts With Food. Last year the Hartwigs published this book. For me this was what I needed to read. It gave me enough explanation on how our body works, because truthfully, I HAD NO CLUE. I don’t know how my innards work but they tell you. I had many “aha” moments while I was reading the book. It was definitely helpful in me committing to the program.

I hope this was enough to spur your interest. You can start any day that ends in Y. I advise not to just JUMP in without any support. Research and plan. Then do it. It’s so easy to fail but if you are prepared then you will do great!

Day ONE and DAY TWO Whole30 RECAP
Yesterday I went over my Post Workout Meal and that it was easy to take in in such a short amount of time after working out. REAL FOOD. Chicken and pureed sweet potato. But breakfast 2 hours later was a little more challenging to get down. But I survived and wasn’t let with any cravings. I wasn’t even STARVING when lunch came around but I knew I had to stick to the schedule of eating.

Lunch consisted of Roasted Chicken, Sweet Potatoes and a Spinach Salad (2cups spinach, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, coconut flakes, cucumber, green onions, mini sweet peppers). I really had all the workings of a Whole30 recommended meal. It was nice and held me over till I ate dinner at 7pm.

Dinner was already premade thanks to Weeknight Paleo by Amber Beam. I made her Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork with Stellar Sweet Potato Home Fries on Sunday and all I had to do is a little reheat and I was done. Granted Sweet Potato Home Fries are much better right out of the oven, but they are still tasty as a leftover. I added some Kim-Chi to my pork and I was set.

Bedtime
I went to bed at 10pm. I rarely have problems falling asleep in general but I felt better overall, mentally. I’d done GOOD! hehe. I woke up thinking I would be seriously dead in the ABS and Legs with all the work we did at the BOOM Box and surprisingly NO PAIN! One day of clean eating and I’m already recovering that quickly? Not entirely sure but I’ll keep you posted if the DOMS hits me later today!

Day TWO
Breakfast
I wasn’t really hungry and I’m really not much of an early breakfast kind of girl but I have to plug away and do this right. I made two eggs over medium using Avocado Oil (delicious). After those were done, I plated them, then threw in 2 cups spinach to same pan with a little more oil added along with some green onions (precut on sunday). Had a small handful of raw trail mix and breakfast is down for the count!

Lunch
I had a choice of Pulled Pork or more Roast Chicken (made on Sunday as well) so I went with chicken. Last night as I was reheating my food, I did a quick boil of water, threw in Asparagus for 4 minutes, drained, added olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper and there you have it, green food for lunch today! I still have some sweet potatoes left over as well. Throw in some Coconut Flakes for that healthy fat and a few blackberries and my LUNCH is legit!

That’s a wrap!
My workouts will be pretty much back to back. One class this evening and then another at 5am. I should be able to still get plenty of sleep and still have PWO and healthy dinner. The plan for the left over Pulled Pork is to make Carnitas–Style Taco Tower. I don’t have the tool to make it look fancy but I’m sure it will be tasty all the same! I’m so excited that I’m finally committing to this again. I feel good and positive about everything. I’m not dreading the days to come. I will conquer this! You can too! Don’t be scared! Have a Happy Tuesday!