I (barely) Survived

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There are those who eat to live, and then there’s me—who lives to eat.

It’s a hobby, really. You like to paint or play guitar? I spend my time cooking, eating, and LOVING food. Now, imagine you take away the red, yellow, and blues from your painters palette. Or remove the C and D cords from your guitar. That’s what the Whole30 felt like.

It was a creative challenge as much as it was a dietary one. I’m glad I had this blog as an outlet to make Whole30 meals more fun and exciting. Boy was it daunting and discouraging at times, but in the end, I got what I set out to do. To tune into the wisdom of my body as well as test my cooking skills.

Would I do this again? NO WAY JOSÉ. It’s too restricting even for just 30 days. If anything I would eliminate just one food group instead of all 5. I love food too much to diet. So instead of transitioning to the Reintroduction Period, I finished it cold turkey with another, more rewarding challenge—homemade croissants (plain AND chocolate).

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PROS

  • Never had a day when I felt like crap (bloatied, fatigued, etc..).
  • I could eat as much as I want without feeling guilty.
  • My energy did spiked.
  • I learned how to roast whole chicken (and died from pure poultry joy).
  • I learned almost everything pre-packaged has added sugar.
  • I learned it’s possible to make W30 dishes fun and original with new ingredients.

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CONS

  • Too many rules for me, I adapted them to the needs of my lifestyle.
  • Weird bodily changes happened: very gassy, early period, lost a lot of hair…
  • l felt like I lacked a sense of culinary freedom.
  • Meal planning/prep SUCKED and stressed me out.
  • It was expensive.
  • I cheated a lot because I work at a cheese shop and restaurant where I have to taste in order to learn.
  • When it was over, I craved sugar and grains more than before I started.

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~*~ W30-APPROVED INGREDIENTS ~*~ 

 

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Cheers to no dieting.

Food for Thought

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