After the 30 Days

Well, Whole 30 is done. Finished. Complete!  Nick and I completely transformed our diet by cutting out sugars, alcohol, dairy, legumes and grains for 30 days. Transforming our diet changed our bodies from the inside out, but it also changed our minds.

I find it easier to make meal choices now and I no longer feel like I want to indulge in a sweet treat or drink simply because "I deserve it." What I deserve is a healthy body and the paleo dietary lifestyle has given me that.

Have I "cheated" since we finished on Tuesday? You bet...I got a big chocolate shake (one of the things I craved a lot). It was delicious while I drank it, but afterward I thought, "That wasn't really worth it." I understand now why a friend said to cheat big. Plan a meal, eat it, and then go right back to paleo.The way she explained it was that eating one healthy meal a week doesn't make you healthy, so eating one cheat meal a week doesn't make you unhealthy.  Tonight Nick and I are going out to Cheesecake Factory for a belated birthday meal...that meal will be worth it! Then we're back to paleo tomorrow. :)

Now that I have my eating habits in a healthy place, I'm ready to add an exercise plan. I exercised a bit through Whole 30, but my focus was on what I ate. After all, you can't out exercise a bad diet...abs are made in the kitchen!

I've also loved the interest from friends in the Whole 30/paleo lifestyle. I have one friend who is halfway through her own Whole30 and several others that have asked for more information. Let's make clean eating the new norm!

It's been a great journey, but I'm not finished. These are habits that can last a lifetime!