The Whole30 lessons that stuck
Immediately post-Whole30, it's easy to feel like you learned a million things. You're on a high because you're fresh off of the accomplishment, and you're certainly at a nutritional peak. You kinda feel unstoppable! But then life slowly creeps in and after a while, some of those things fade. Maybe grains are a normal part of your diet again and the brain fog returns, but whatever life after Whole30 looks like, there are definitely some things that get ingrained in you. Here are mine:
1. I can do hard things.
This is perhaps my favorite lasting Whole30 lesson. 30 days of no grains, dairy, sugar, artificial sweeteners, legumes, gluten... is that all?... is no joke. It's eliminating a lot of foods, and at the start of it, it feels a little overwhelming. Ok, a lot overwhelming, personally. But after a bit, you settle in, and you know what you're doing. You get this confidence with your food choices that cannot be understated. Yes, you may fight some cravings, but I think that's an important battle to pick. I physically control my body in every way, so to feel "out of control" with food choices is a lie. A big, fat lie that you can conquer, and that confidence sticks with you. Now when I encounter a craving, I'm able to look at it from a different angle. Sure, I still crave sweets and treats, but I usually determine I don't really want it, and I have this knowledge that the craving will soon pass. And if it doesn't and I really do want it, then I have it and I love every second of it.
2. Just because I feel bloated does not mean I'm fat.
This may not resonate with everyone. You know what I spent 95% of my pregnancy saying? "I feel fat." I said that SO MUCH, and looking back, that was ridiculous. I mean, my gain was gradual and where it should have been, but bloating started early for me. I felt bloated from day 1, but I misunderstood that feeling. Now, I know what it feels like to NOT be chronically bloated, so it's much easier to address bloating. I know how to eat to decrease that feeling, and then VOILA! Fat doesn't go away that fast, so it's a much easier feeling to cope with now that I know I haven't actually packed on the extra 10 pounds I sometimes feel like I'm carrying.
3. Cooking good foods is gratifying.
Have you ever cooked a box of Kraft mac and cheese and been proud of it? Not after age 8, probably. But there are so many things over the last few months that I've cooked and felt a genuine sense of pride! And not just me. Marcus made us some peri peri roasted carrots that were amazing for the Super Bowl, and he said he couldn't wait to cook them for friends and family in the future. Now that's what cooking should be, if ya ask me. I think people who think of themselves as good cooks are used to this feeling, but us average Joes in the kitchen don't often encounter that. I'm not a creative or intuitive chef by any means, so this feeling of pride in the kitchen is new, and I like it. Again, it's a confidence thing that sticks with you. Like hey, I make my mashed potatoes from scratch!
4. Sugar really is everywhere.
Yeah yeah yeah, we all know this one, right? But when you're super tediously reading every label, it gets really annoying during your Whole30 to find dextrose and sucrose and cane sugar and honey and maltodextrin and high fructose corn syrup and monk fruit in e-v-ery-thing, and it's really impossible to forget. It makes it very easy to not want to go back to buying packaged foods, if ya ask me.
5. Workout recovery is immensely better with proper nutrition.
I've touted this as a trainer to so many people, but I actually see it and feel it now. My running has turned a corner over the last couple months, and I have Whole30 to thank. Paces that used to feel like my threshold are now feeling easy. I can knock out much quicker paces than I ever thought I would, and I recover so quick. I haven't even bought the new, super clean, unsweetened protein powder I plan to use for recovery in the future yet, and I'm still feeling awesome after my workouts. Every now and then I might want a donut postrun, so we'll see how I recover on a sugar overload later on :)
