It’s another great day to share Whole30 Results!! I am continually amazed at the continuous people who have incredible results. They’re so great they always want to share!! Meet Molly! She’s a mom, wife, teacher, sister, daughter and friend. She loves to take pictures, read a good book, cook EASY meals, take care of her home and motivate her followers on her “Never Happier, Never Healthier Campaign” facebook page. For her entire story, read her guest post here!

Where/ when did you first hear about Whole30?

I started with paleo. While visiting my amazing Aunt  Kim, I noticed a glow about her and asked what she was up to. She’s always been fit and energetic, but this time, she had this aura about her that floored me. She introduced me to paleo. I noticed a huge difference, but still had trouble with the paleo junk food. Specific foods effect my mood/emotions…I knew I had to keep researching and finding what exactly triggered my negative behavior and emotions.

When was your Whole30?

I took a leap of faith last August 2013. I knew something had to change in my life overall. While I was practicing paleo, I wanted something to commit to, to be responsible for, to aim for. The first thing I did was “like” all the facebook pages about Whole30 that I could find. I devoured Melissa and Dallas Hartwig’s website and downloaded their book, “It Starts With Food”. I told my husband and my neighbor, my Aunt Kim and my cousin Kelly. I shared with others if they asked. I honestly never felt worse (in the beginning) and suddenly, never better. I had been in a war with food my entire life. Without getting into further detail, I found that Whole30 FINALLY gave me the answers I’d been searching for for YEARS.

What was the biggest challenge you overcame during Whole30?

My biggest challenge was and always will be vulnerability. 2013-2014 was NOT an easy year. I was faced with loss, an unhappy employment circumstance, disappointment and setback. I gave up on Whole30 for about 4 months. In that time period, I’ve never felt worse (and believe me, I’ve felt awful and been in dark places many times before) and one day, I woke up and decided I didn’t want to feel like that anymore. Plain and simple. I knew during these dark times that Whole30 was there. I made a commitment on March 30, 2014, to adopt Whole30 as a llifestyle. I have slowly (I’ve had some bumps here and there with temptation—I am human) evolved and now live a clean, “Never Healthier, Never Happier” life. Oh, one other thing…after drinking ten diet cokes a day for many years, I found it very, very hard to suddenly give those up. Once I got through the first week of my first Whole30, I’ve never—not once—missed them.

What are some of the Non Scale Victories you experienced?

First and foremost, above everything else, I am a better mom. I am setting a good example for my daughters. That’s pretty much all that matters. I have enjoyed being able to go into a store and NOT have to enter a dressing room. I know what will fit. For years, the dressing room was such a scary place. Three way mirrors, bad lighting, and that number attached to the tag on the pants/dress you love. I’ve realized that those tags are just a number and each store is different. I don’t give a shit about those tags anymore. They don’t scare me. They don’t represent my spirit, how much I like myself and they don’t ruin my day/week/month anymore.

What was your scale victory? 🙂

For me, Whole30 is not about my physical appearance. The biggest difference is in my face. That’s where I wear my health. I fought that scale battle for too long. I’ve moved on to the emotional, mental and spiritual benefits that eating clean, not drinking, smoking or using any other substances (diet coke included) to mask the emotions/ situations/ toxic people WILL offer you.

Do you have any words of wisdom for anyone currently doing a Whole30?

If you go into Whole30 with a “here we go again” attitude or if you judge yourself while navigating your 30 days, it won’t work. Use “It Starts With Food” religiously…keep it in your bag. “Like” as many Whole30 Facebook and Instagram pages as possible. Keep a journal. Share your experiences. In my experience and through hearing other people’s experiences with Whole30, I believe it works best for those of us who have fought with and abused food. It’s an opportunity to move beyond the lies that “it’s in my genes” or “I’ll never stop fighting” mentality. It is possible to end the war. This is my answer.

What is something you wished you had known before starting Whole30?

Nothing. I believe that everyone is on her/ his own journey and it’s up to you if you want to heal or not. It’s so easy to say, “I have no regrets.” Well, I have many. And I’m sure I’ll continue to have regrets in the future. But I now live day-by-day and keep the people who inspire and motivate me close to my heart and in my thoughts and daily life.

Are there any specific meals or recipes you loved during your Whole30?

My motto is “Keep it Simple, Keep it Whole”. I don’t spend a whole lot of time cooking. My favorite meal (for me and my family) is chicken (get a whole chicken and cook it on Sunday…the meat will last most of the week), hard-boiled eggs, avocado, steamed veggies…It’s not hard. This lifestyle is not hard. It’s actually simplified grocery shopping and meal prep beyond words.