Even though I’ve finished the 30-day cleanse, I’m still only halfway through the process. The reintroduction phase—adding those food groups back into your diet, gradually—can take up to thirty days, and in itself is a science experiment. It’s also a strategy that protects your body from going into shock after downing an Oreo milkshake on day 31 (yikes).
Over the month of September, I learned a lot. I learned a lot about food, how God intended us to eat it, and the power it has over us mentally, physically, and socially. I could write about the diet part of the experiment, but I’d like to take this post to share my three biggest takeaways that aren’t directly related to food, but that I wouldn’t have learned without drastically altering my diet.
3 Non-Diet Lessons From Whole 30
I’ll get over it
Couldn’t have that pasta/taco/ice cream/latte that my friends were having? Got over it.
Had to settle for a La Croix instead of a margarita? Got over it.
Went to work/class/bed hungry? Got over it.
See the pattern? The saying “this too shall pass” is the ultimate mantra of Whole 30. Those tempting old habits that, at the time, feel like they’ll make or break you if they’re not resolved eventually end up passing. It’s quite amazing to witness. During Whole 30, when you can’t have those foods you find yourself eating even when you’re not hungry, are completely off limits. In fact, you’re not even supposed to sub out grapes or cauliflower chips for Reese’s Cups or tortilla chips because the purpose is to knock the habit, not just satisfy it with something “healthier”.
In the end, I got over all the times I was hungry and/or bored, and guess what? I survived, and it proved that as much as I have the power to say yes to a 10pm brownie, I have just as much power to say no, and feel better because of it.
2. I’m an all-or-nothing person
I have two mindsets: zero or one-hundred. There’s no in between, and it only took me a few days to realize this. Since so many unhealthy choices were just completely off the table, I didn’t even notice their absences. Thanks to accountability from my housemate, Gabrielle, who was also cleansing, and everyone I publicly alerted on social media, giving in was not an option.
I may be a lot of things, but a quitter isn’t one—especially not on a public stage. If I live without strict discipline, I’ll never commit to living a “healthier life” and I’ll continue to eat just one more of everything until I can’t eat any more. However, if I commit to 30 days of eating eggs, sweet potatoes, and steamed broccoli, by golly I’m going to do it, and I’m going to do it wholeheartedly.
Over the past thirty days, I realized that my all-or-nothing mentality carries across my entire life. Seriously!
Even when it comes to lights—I either turn every single light on in my space (which is like 7 lamps and a candle), or I work in complete darkness. All or nothing.
If I have 47 fondant roses to make, I’ll either sit down and make all 47 or I’ll put it off until I’m mentally ready to commit to starting and finishing the entire project, because I know I can’t leave it undone. All or nothing.
This, my friends, was an absolute revelation. I don’t have the personality that can only eat one bite of cake. I either eat it all, or I eat nothing.
3. I’m stressed
Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner! And it only took thirty days of extreme dieting to understand that I tend to carry around a little (a lot) of extra stress.
Actually, it only took 20 days. On day 20, I was processing through my progress, and decided I hadn’t seen as many results as I thought I should. A little disheartening, yes, but nonetheless revolutionary. My diet was solid (except for the occasional overdose on plantain chips), I was exercising, I was drinking only water and black coffee, yet almost no weight loss and my energy level had significantly decreased, when it was supposed to do the opposite according to Whole 30 insights.
Then, it hit me. I. Am. Stressed. That is precisely the barrier between me and my goals, and I think it has been for a long time. On day 20, I decided to stop stressing (All or Nothing—case in point). Then on day 23, I noticed significant weight loss, an increase in energy and mood, and more time in the day to stop and smell the roses. It was truly miraculous.
At this current time, I’m doing no more or less than I was on day 20, yet I feel like a totally different person. I can’t say it’s diet related, but because my diet literally had nothing in it that could be blamed for plateaued results, it had to be another cause. Low and behold, it’s been stress this whole time.
