HB Does Whole30: Round 3 – Thoughts & Goals

It’s a good day to change for the better, don’t you think? 

I’ve been putting off writing this post because I knew it might get a bit wordy. It probably doesn’t have to be…but I’m a verbal processor, what can I say? Maybe I’m thinking too much, but this (my third) round of doing the Whole30 program is kind of a big deal to me. 

If you’ve done a Whole30, you understand why. It isn’t just a diet. In fact, I’ve come to learn that the food part of Whole30 is just one component of many changes that can take place from doing the program. And for me, those other changes are my primary reasons for doing this 30-day challenge.

I’ll be honest – I’m a little nervous going into this. Since I’ve already done Whole30 twice, the “honeymoon phase” is over and I know just how difficult it’s going to be. But at the same time, I’m excited to take all of the things I’ve learned from my past Whole30s and make changes where I need to (which I’ll address a bit more in my goals below). But if I had to narrow this Whole30 down to a single goal, it would be that I’m focusing primarily on the non-scale victories.

non-scale victories

Newsflash: taking on a healthier eating routine isn’t all about losing weight. I highly recommend researching Whole30 and finding out why (their website has a ton of great info, but the book is even better). This PDF lists dozens and dozens of the amazing benefits that you can experience from doing the Whole30 that don’t involve losing weight. 

Let’s be real – I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to lose weight / slim down / lean out / whatever you want to call it. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping to get a little more trim for the summer. But the more I learn about nutrition and overall wellness, the more I’m realizing that weight loss is easier and much more likely to be permanent if it’s a natural result of making healthy and consistent choices. While the Whole30 may be strict, I believe it’s one of the best ways to get to that point of truly understanding your body, hunger cues, relationship with food, and so much more. 

Some of the main non-scale victories I’m hoping for from this Whole30:

• Improved energy. More specifically – less of that groggy feeling in the morning, and steadier energy throughout the entire day
• Ease my seasonal allergies
• Improve digestion/feeling bloated after meals
• Improved hair/skin/nails. Especially having just turned 30 (!) I’d love to see my skin brighter and tighter, no more bags under my eyes, and healthier, softer hair
• More mindful when it comes to food and how it makes me feel
• Transition back into “real life” smoothly and slowly and maintain the habits that I found to be most beneficial for me

some more practical goals

• Keeping my meals simple: a balance of vegetables, protein & healthy fats
• Stay prepped: I want to try to always have at least some food prepped so I have easy go-to meal options without being tempted to graze
• Eat meals slowly and mindfully with no distractions
• No snacking: I’d love to break the habit of snacking (and needing a treat after dinner), so I’m going to make sure that my 3 meals a day are filling enough to hold me over. Of course if I find myself hungry I will eat, but only if completely necessary
• Limit bars, nuts and nut butters: this was a downfall of mine in previous Whole30s. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with these foods, but I find myself more likely to want to snack and/or overeat them. They’re also foods that tend to awaken my “sugar dragon,” which I’m trying to break off
• Document more of my experience! I am going to aim for at least one blog post a week – a combination of recipes, what I’m learning, how I’m feeling, etc. I’ll also be sharing most of my meals on Instagram and Instagram Stories

Last but not least, I’d LOVE to build a little community around this Whole30 for those of you who are doing it along with me, or just interested in following. I don’t usually leave the comments open on my blog posts but will be for this Whole30 so you can leave any questions, thoughts, whatever 🙂 

Aaaaand – we’re off!