I promise I’ll share our Whole30 results (if you’re really impatient you can scroll down 🙂 but first you need some background! My husband Chaz and I met at the University of Georgia in October of 2009. That spring, we both decided on our own to become vegetarians. Since that time, we’ve both living a mostly-vegan (vegans don’t kill me! 🙂 life at home, and as close to vegan (ok, let’s be real: vegetarian) diet when at friends’ homes or eating out. That’s over 5 years of being vegetarian! Also, since I was on some sort of meal plan for the first two years of college, I have never ever cooked meat for myself. EVER. So the Whole30 seemed like a daunting task…

I have always loved nutrition, but I don’t have the medical background to filter through the good stuff and the not-so-good stuff. Pair that with being the most gullible person in the world, and I’ll read an article and in shock and horror say to my husband “Did you know gluten causes CANCER?!” Clearly, this had to stop. I had read about the Whole30 Challenge somewhere (because it’s everywhere now, isn’t it?) and decided the thought of eliminating all inflammation from the body was enticing… So I ordered the book, hoping it would be more factual than my other sources.

We had a lovely family beach trip with my immediate family in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina at the end of May. I planned to read “It Starts With Food” on the trip, maybe meal plan in June, and start in July. On the trip, Chaz and I would switch off reading… I figured the “facts” in this book would be exactly the same… But guess what? They weren’t! The first day Chaz started reading I asked him “So, is it legit?” Surprisingly, he said it was!! (Disclaimer: he did mention that in some places they maybe overemphasized things he wouldn’t have, but still!) I was overjoyed. For the first time I felt like my heart for nutrition and his medical mind and knowledge had found their match.

So we decided to make the commitment… and even sooner than I had planned! My husband had a break after graduating from medical school in May, and knowing that he was starting (finally!!) his first year as a doctor in July, he pushed us to go ahead and start in June so he could help with all of the cooking I had planned.

So here we were! Of course, at the beach I rushed to finish the book, Chaz skimmed the rest, and then my dad read it as well. When I wasn’t reading, I was scouring over Pinterest Whole30 recipes, attempting to find something for breakfast that didn’t include eggs… While  that wasn’t always so successful, I did find tons of great recipes that I was excited to make for the month of June!

June first started, and we happened to be on a trip to Savannah for our friends’ wedding. I learned early on that planning ahead is essential to the Whole30 challenge… So I brought some meals and snacks we could eat, and I picked our favorite lunch spot where we both ate super yummy salads: Starland Cafe. (Don’t judge them by their website- it’s not responsive and there’s MUSIC. What?? But the food is delicious, so stop by anytime you’re in Savannah!)

We traveled back to Augusta and continued our new Whole30 ways… First I’ll tell you the challenges. Oh, the many challenges… Breakfast. I have always hated breakfast because I hate eggs, and for 5 years I didn’t eat meat. That combo leaves you with sugary starch: waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, a bagel and cream cheese, toast and almond butter. Even when it’s “healthy,” it’s still not the best… So breakfasts on the Whole30 were a challenge, BUT the benefit is that it has helped me start to see things the way they should be seen. I try to think more in terms of “meal 1, meal 2, meal 3” like the book suggests, rather than “breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” That way eating an avocado and chicken for breakfast is less weird 🙂

Sure, I missed bread, especially since Chaz’s Nana makes us *homemade* sourdough bread. But really, most of all I missed the beans! Being a vegetarian, beans were our main source of protein. But we did it! We ate clean for an entire month!!! Hallelujah!

Our Whole30 Results:

• Combined, Chaz and I lost 25 pounds!! Ok, so Chaz lost 17 and I lost 8, but who said this was a competition? 🙂 I wish we had measured inches, because on my petite body I think that would have been more impressive!
• My acne that I’ve dealt with pretty much my entire life, is gone!! Like completely gone.
• We both almost entirely lost our “spare tires”– my biggest struggle
• Chaz has a 6 pack- HElllooooo!! (he would DIE if he knew I just told you that)
• I have SO much energy. We both do! Which is great for Chaz because he’s been working 12-16 hour days this month.
• We’ve been sleeping GREAT!
• I have no cravings. None. Even after Whole30, I will occasionally eat off-plan, but it’s a choice rather than feeling like my body is screaming for something.
• And so many more!!!

Did you do a June Whole30? Or completed one recently? Comment below and share your Whole30 results!

If you would like to start a Whole30 but don’t know how to get started… Contact Me and I’d love to walk you through it!