When a Splenda Addict Goes Whole 30
Hello, friends!
Have you heard about Whole 30?
Whole 30 is an eating plan that was developed back in 2009 by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, sports nutritionists. The plan only came onto my radar several months ago, long after I had sworn off ever going on another “diet,” but before I eagerly jumped on the last fad diet bandwagon sweeping our community. I followed that one to a tee, lost weight, started eating normal food in a normal way, and promptly gained it all back.
Sidebar: Want to read more about my diet struggles? Weight Watcher Wednesday, Where do You Go To Fill the Empty?
Well, I think I gained it all back, but I’ve sworn off the scale again so I’m going by what my belt and the mirror tell me.
My brain knows the right way to eat. My mom showed me by preparing delicious, nutritious mostly home raised food my whole childhood. On the weekends, we were allowed to have one glass of Pepsi, and it was a treat not our normal beverage.
If that weren’t enough, I also learned about healthy eating in 4-h in every cooking project from Let’s Start Cooking to Making Yeast Breads. I practically copied the nutrition information from my project books word for word each year when I completed the many pages of the “yellow” form trying to win awards at our county Awards Night.
I wanted more blue ribbons. And plaques. And the coveted I Dare You award.
Sidebar: I should write an entire post about 4-h! I absolutely loved it and have many, many fond memories of participating.
My first college degree was in Home Economics with a concentration in Foods and Nutrition, so I studied and was taught the importance of fueling the body with good, nutritious food. But I often have difficulty moving such knowledge from my brain into action with my body.
I’m really embarrassed to think back to one of the summers the boys were all playing ball and we were gone from home night after night after night. We had Pizza Hut in town then and they had $5 large pizzas available every night. We ate them, and ate them, and ate them. I wouldn’t have won a blue ribbon for feeding my kids healthy food that summer.
Suffice it to say my own eating habits veered toward the dark side way too much of the time. This spring when my once special- occasion salted caramel blizzard was dangerously close to becoming more than once a week, and I started to eat black pepper potato chips from Aldi as a daily appetizer as I prepared lunch, and I couldn’t remember the last time I drank a full glass of water, I knew I had to get myself back under control.
People in an educational Young Living Essential Oil Facebook group I’m in started raving about the success they were having with the Whole 30 diet, encouraging everyone to consider doing it. I bought It Starts With Food and the Whole 30 Cookbook and started reading about it. It made perfect sense to my brain.
And I was scared to death to begin, actually feeling anxious at the thought of giving up Diet Pepsi, heavy on the ice.
Here is how Whole 30 works:
No dairy.
No grains.
No gluten.
No legumes or corn or peanuts.
No sugar or other sweetening ingredients, including honey.
No soy.
No vegetable oil.
No artificial sweeteners.
Basically, no processed food.
No weighing.
No fun for 30 days.
No wait, I added that part because that is how it seemed.
Goodness. No wonder I was nervous about the whole idea! You might be asking why would anyone sign up for this?
Here is what you CAN EAT on Whole 30:
Meat
Nuts
Seeds
Seafood
Eggs
Vegetables
Fruit
Benefits of Whole 30
Here are the benefits promised by the developers and repeated over and over by the 37,000 people in the Whole 30 First-timers Facebook group.
- weight loss
- improved athletic performance
- better sleep
- improved focus and mental clarity
- improved mood
- improved relationship with food
- reduced or elimination of cravings
- food freedom
And then there are the testimonials of people who claim improvement or “cure” of health conditions…….
high blood pressure • high cholesterol • type 1 diabetes • type 2 diabetes • asthma • allergies • sinus infections • hives • skin conditions • endometriosis • PCOS • infertility • migraines • depression • bipolar disorder • heartburn • GERD • arthritis • joint pain • ADD • thyroid dysfunction • Lyme disease • fibromyalgia • chronic fatigue • lupus • leaky gut syndrome • Crohn’s • IBS • Celiac disease • diverticulitis • ulcerative colitis
One of the most touted benefits is the infamous TIGER BLOOD, the marked increase in energy levels.
Ok. These all certainly upped the interested factor. So, I decided to give Whole 30 a try with a projected start date of June 1. I ultimately ended up beginning May 23 because just knowing I planned to start the plan turned me into an EATING MONSTER. The fear of gaining 20 pounds during the month of May and vacation coming in June was the impetus I needed to begin.
I asked about it on Facebook and got a lot of encouragement from people, near and far who were either in the midst of a round or had just completed a round or were planning their next round. I pushed through my fear of no Diet Pepsi, flavored creamer in my coffee, or artificially sweetened tea, or peanut butter and toast for breakfast, told a few people for accountability purposes and began.
It really helped that Brock was pretty much eating “clean” anyway and Brad is willing to go along with most of my schemes. Kelly and Melissa shared recipes and websites with me and Richard and Tami decided to do it to, starting 5 days before me. Seeing that they remained their sweet, happy selves was an encouragement to me that this wouldn’t kill me and was doable. My sister, Karen, joined us, too.
Tips, Tricks, and Take-Aways from my Whole 30 Experience
- Be prepared….grocery lists, food prep, emergency plan
- You will get reacquainted with your kitchen, big time. We have never eaten so many good, delicious foods so many days in a row. I discovered again that I really do like to cook and try new recipes!
- Roasted veggies are delicious!
- Eating out had become my go to. I thought it was because we were so busy, but now I know it was just because I had gotten lackadaisical about it.
- Maybe it wasn’t the best idea ever to do this while the guys were farming nonstop. It wasn’t easy to come up with foods to take to the field day after day, but I did it! And my farmers enjoyed their healthy meals. Something that saved me was crock-pot freezer meals. I think I will do a separate post on the recipes which we really enjoyed.
- We have tried and loved lots of new foods.
- Read labels. Read labels. Read labels. Did I mention read labels? You may be shocked like I was that sugar is added to EVERYTHING.
- Food is medicine.
- Compliant Larabars and nuts will become your friends if you need to eat something quickly but can’t find compliant fast food.
- I often felt like a pioneer woman because as soon as I finished one meal, I had to begin at least thinking about the next one.
- It was worth it to be to make a trip to Fresh Thyme for compliant Ketchup and BBQ sauce.
- When your tastebuds aren’t deadened by artificial sugar, fruit can almost taste too sweet.
My results:
- Sugar cravings gone.
- I lost weight.
- Around Day 5 I noticed my brain fog had lifted and I credit that to no more Splenda. I don’t want to go back to that foggy feeling.
- Dark circles are very much decreased.
- I slept like a log and had to make myself stay up until 9:00 a few evenings. I also have started dreaming again almost every night. I especially remember waking up in the middle of a really good dream one morning and trying to go back to sleep so I could find out what happened next!
- I don’t know that I ever really experienced “Tiger Blood” but I did do all my ironing and even scrubbed the grout in the back of our house with a brush on my hands and knees.
- I learned I really can live without flavored coffee creamer, diet Pepsi and a LOT of Splenda sweetened Tea.
I’m on the reintroduction phase right now, trying to add foods slowly back into my diet to determine what “sets me off”. Honestly, the first slice of plain white bread I ate tasted like yucky cardboard. My taste buds seem to have changed. However, I bet they still love all the foods made by my mom and mother-in-law and I plan to eat them whenever I have the chance.
If you have completed a “round” of Whole 30, I’d love to hear all about it. If you are interested, let’s discuss it! I can steer you toward some great resources and very helpful Facebook groups.
I hope you are having a great summer!
I totally could have wrote this post! The struggle to eat healthy is real. I have been telling my husband that we need to make some changes. Our food choices can literally kill us..The problem is that we need to change our routine too. Meals need to be planned and prepped ahead of time. I just haven’t been able to research good quick meals to try. I keep going back to the old standbys. Spaghetti, tacos, hamburgers, fries. I guess I am afraid I will fix something and we will hate it and have to resort to chicken patties and macaroni again. I suppose we need to start small and try one new healthy meal a week since it seems all too overwhelming to me. As someone who enjoys a good sweat, I just know I can’t out run my fork anymore. And he can’t either. God provided good healthy choices for us. We need to go back to the earth and forget about all this processed, man made junk. Food is for nourishment only. I just wish I could remember all this when I grab that next piece of taffy left from the fair. I hate myself for buying it. I feel sorry for my digestive system. God help us all.
OH, yes! The struggle is real! Something has to change with the American diet-way too much processed food. And now all the crazy Energy drinks to add to the mess. If you are interested, you should definitely give Whole 30 a try. I realize I’m still new to this way of eating, but it seems to have given me “food freedom” just like so many others have said. I plan to still eat treats once in a while, but only when they are worth it and really good, not just because I can. I love that “I can’t outrun my fork anymore!” Don’t hate yourself for buying the taffy-maybe that is one of your special treats that is worth it! I do know that we can’t believe everything the “experts” say. I was listening to something yesterday about leaky gut and the Dr. was making claims about our food that I know are not right. Great to hear from you, Emily! Have a great week!
Well, mine was Whole 30, but basically that is my food list. I suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis and hypothyroidism. I was a mess by the time I retired from teaching. I thought I was really just done.
I visited a wellness doctor. He had been my mom’s neurologist for years. He walked away from being the head of the department to opening his own health and wellness practice. I know it hasn’t been easy for him, but he is passionate.
I can not even begin to describe the change in me. I was on all the ugly medicines for RA which were really beginning to kill me themselves.
I lost 30 pounds and feel better than I have in 20 years. No meds except my one thyroid pill and vitamins.
I will never be able to eat gluten and processed foods again, but I feel so good I can definitely live without them. In fact I have some pretty great stories with certain foods and what they will do to me. I actually tried to force myself to drink a Sprite last summer for my colonoscopy. It was terrible. I could only get a third of it down. I honestly can say I don’t even like soft drinks anymore.
Stick with you and you will be amazed at the change it can bring into your life.
Oh, Sandy! I’m so happy for you. This is a great testimonial for this way of eating-that is for sure! I’m so glad you are feeling better. Every medicine has side effects, doesn’t it? I wish I could find a naturopath or a wellness doctor in our area. I’m going to keep looking! I have to admit, I still want a Diet Pepsi, but I haven’t caved yet and am encouraged that soft drinks taste awful to you now. I’d love to hear more about what certain foods do to you if you would be willing to share. I bet my readers would enjoy hearing about it, too! Are you using essential oils yet? If not, I’d love to talk about them with you. We could facetime or google chat or skype!!! That would be fun! Have a blessed day, Sandy!
Susan, the results of this plan are amazing. Being in vacation this week limits the ability to control how our food is prepared and I am very aware of my food choices. I am ready to be home and prepare my own delicious foods. I hope I can stick to this for a Very long time. I hope Richard will comment about his results. I would encourage anyone to at least try this plan to see if you notice a change in the way you feel.
I can’t wait to really discuss this in person! Vacation puts a new twist on things, doesn’t it? We are doing a lot of cooking in our condo, but also eating out some. I’m trying to decide each time what is worth trying. What I’m discovering is a lot of the time, the food I thought would be so good, just isn’t. I’m thinking I may start over when I get home…at least for a few days! Maybe a Whole 7 or 14! I hope Richard comments, too. His comments will be helpful for others!
Tamara and I started Whole30 with anticipation of losing weight and possibly feeling better. We read the book “It Starts With Food” and decided that we could do this. Don’t get me wrong, we had lots of changes to make in our eating habits. Especially me. I love eating junk food and drinking Diet Coke and sweet ice tea. Love it! Really, I’d marry it if not for Tamara being such a wonderful wife. So we started the journey with gusto! We have always eaten at home most of the time, so that wasn’t so difficult to do. However, planning ahead, so as to have the right foods, was a bit challenging. But we’re not quitters and we plowed on through. We discovered many delicious foods that we have always known were around, but we just never took the time to cook them. And like Susan said, cutting out all the added sugar and sweeteners really allows your taste buds to come alive again. Everything tastes better than it used too, except my ice tea. But, I use 100% fruit juices to add a little zing to it and I’ma happy boy!!!! So far I’ve lost 18 pounds. I didn’t weigh until after my 30 days were over. Some of us had a little trouble waiting til the end. She shall remain nameless. The best part is, after suffering from years of pain in my hips, legs and back, thanks to an old tractor landing on top of me, I can now say that I am free of at least 75% of that pain. Whole30, when done right, eliminates inflammation, the cause of most of my pain. And the crazy thing is that it kind of snuck up on me. After the third week on the plan, someone asked if it was helping with pain. I gave it a quick think and realized that it was helping tremendously. We’ve started the reintroduction phase and I can feel things starting to ache again. So I’m cutting those things out right away. This is going to be our lifelong plan now. Eat clean and live well.
Richard
Richard! This makes us so happy. We know how much you have suffered through the years. Your testimony of this way of eating will inspire others, I Just know it!
Great article! I know someone who did the Whole Foods diet for 30 days. She said she slept better, her skin improved. I think she did struggle with the food choices. I haven’t tried this, though I need to. Thanks for sharing your experience and tips!
Maribeth! You are so very welcome. You definitely need a plan to follow this diet-no more grabbing something easy!
I’m seriously trying to gather the courage to do one. It sounds like a tremendous experience, and so healthy!
I know exactly what you mean! I was afraid, too, but you shouldnt’ be. You won’t be hungry and will feel great, especially after about the 5th day. Let me know if you take the plunge!
Hello there,
I’m a little late, but have just found you. This is actually for a large part how my husband and I have eaten for the past 4ish years, except some dairy, legumes & corn. (My weakness is peanutbutter!) We do make exceptions on occasion but our day to day diet is meat(with animal fat) and veggies. At first, it was just as you said, some apples are too sweet, some grains like chalk, and all the artificial colors & preservatives like chemicals. When we began, we cut out all chemicals as well. Herbs are a huge part of my cooking now. And we taste the real flavor of our foods. I am happy for you that you were successful. Wishing you continued wellness:) Now to keep reading other posts.
I’m so glad you found me! I’m really impressed that you have kept this up for 4 years, and I understand why! I am trying to eat this way the majority of the time as well. I have learned that my sugar dragon isn’t dead and is lurking in the background ready to roar again if I let it! I’m planning another post to explain the nuts and bolts and share some of my favorite recipes. Do you have any tips that I could include as someone who has adopted this as a way of life? I’d love to include them! Feel free to email me at shull.susan@gmail.com. I’ll give you credit!!! Have a great day!