The First Rule of Whole30? Talk About Whole30!
In what’s sure to be my most annoying and self-centered newsletter yet, I share the results of doing Whole30. You’ll love it!
There are a few things that, if you participate in them, you MUST talk about them.
Just start selling a multi-level marketing product? You have to mention it!
Your kid get into an Ivy League? Yup, it’s required, or their acceptance will be revoked.
Are you a vegan with food allergies? Check! For each meal, everyone in the restaurant will know.
And so goes Whole30. Which is why I immediately dismissed it when I heard about it years ago.
I mean, I simply don’t view myself as one of those people.
But alas, I am.
So, let me tell you about my last 30 days!
What is Whole30?
Whole30 is a highly-restricted diet intended to last for 30 days. It calls for removing added sugar, grains, legumes, dairy, certain additives like MSG, and recreated “junk” food (i.e., coconut milk ice cream) from your diet.
After the 30 days, you introduce these items, one at a time, back into your diet to see how your body reacts. The theory is that after 30 days, your body is a blank canvas, and your reactions to these reintroduced foods will tell you if you should avoid them long-term.
Why did I do it?
In October of 2022, I hurt my hip. Playing baseball. Doing nothing impressive. (This is 42!)
It was the most painful and long-lasting injury of my life, and I’ve been injured plenty over the years.
Needless to say, from October to March, I was very restricted in my workouts, I was highly stressed about work, and with the holidays added in, I came into this spring in perhaps the worst physical condition of my adult life.
I needed a reset. And it needed to be a big reset because the other things I had tried did not work. So I remembered a few folks who told me about Whole30 over the years, and I bought the book, and within an hour of starting it, I realized this was the reset I needed.
Was it hard?
Well, not nearly as hard as I thought. I truly enjoyed the food, and while I certainly missed certain restricted items in specific settings, the meals were filling, delicious, and never left me feeling hungry.
The hardest parts, however, were:
The meal prep. I had to plan my meals a week in advance and do all the grocery shopping, and those are time commitments I’m not used to.
Travel. I intentionally did the Whole30 between multi-day trips, but even quick overnight trips or all-day events were more of a hassle when I needed to bring food or find compliant restaurants.
Events. I hosted a wine-tasting event for 30 people and, well, couldn’t participate. So I walked around the entire time with iced tea in a “rocks” glass, and everyone assumed I was drinking bourbon. A bit awkward.
Stress relief. We all have our coping mechanisms, and mine is food, specifically snacks and sweets. So finding a different outlet for stress management was challenging but manageable.
Navigating family meals. I did not want to burden my wife or kids with my restrictions, and thankfully they showed me a ton of grace and understanding in adjusting parts of our family meals. My wife, who is in charge of meals during the work week, was very accommodating in trying new recipes and altering existing recipes when possible. I truly appreciate her willingness to help!
What were the results?
I admit I was startled by the results. While I thought I’d reset my body and cravings, feel leaner, and drop some pounds, I had no idea I’d feel this good.
Among the many benefits I experienced, the most significant were:
I slept amazingly well. I fell asleep more quickly, had few dreams, did not wake up in the middle of the night, and woke up feeling refreshed. This was the most surprising result, as I already thought I slept well.
My mood improved. At the end of each day, I rate my mental state, 1-10, 1 being “I’m a mess in my head,” and 10 being “I’m on top of the world.” I noticed my ratings for the 30 days were up 1-2 points, on average. I didn’t even realize this until day 20.
My cravings diminished significantly, especially after day 10.
Exercise was much more enjoyable because I felt I had more energy and, eventually, was carrying less weight.
It led to great discussions about food, specifically with one of my kids. We actually connected a bit over the concept.
My clothes fit much better, and I probably saved a ton of money because I was on a fast train to a new summer wardrobe if I didn’t shed a few pounds!
I lost 12.8 lbs, approximately 6% of my starting weight, and I dropped about one pant size, if not more.
What’s next?
This is tricky. You see, I fully intended to start the systematic reintroduction phase on 5/31 (my 31st day) as per one of the two reintroduction plans delineated in chapter 8 of the book.
But then I got to day 31, and there was nothing I had eliminated that I wanted to consume.
So I’ve just kept going.
Now, when the opportunity presents itself, and when I really want something, I’ll reintroduce it and see how I feel. But I genuinely think 98%+ of my future diet will follow the Whole30 tenants.
The bottom line for me: It just feels too good, and I don’t want to go back.
Books of Note: A friend wants to buy a competitor or two. He asked me if I had any recommendations for approaching the process. Of course, I did! In the form of two books: Buy Then Build by Walked Deibel and Buying a Small Business by Richard Ruback and Royce Yedkoff. Wait, can you really learn how to find and acquire a business through a book? Yes. I did.
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