Here it is Day 19 of my first Whole30 run. It has been going extremely well. To be honest, I was a little reticent to rave about it in “the middle of things” before actually completing it. What if I fail? What if I don’t actually complete it?

But, being along on a journey feels more honest and present than hearing about it after the fact. We tend to gloss over or forget the hardships and struggles once we’ve made it to “the other side” and just focus on the finish instead of the journey.

So, here are my “Day 19” thoughts:

First, why was I so resistant to do Whole30?

I love routine, a good rut, as I have been known to call it. I can eat soup out of a can. Every. Single. Day. Even cold. I am fine with repetitive food plans. I don’t need spicy or creative lunches.

Also, I have often heard people say, “I’ve lost 10 pounds (or more) every time I do Whole30.”

So why was I so hesitant to take the plunge?

Let me tell you my three reasons:

Half and half, ice cream, and cheese.

Really? Dairy products. For real? Yes. Seriously, half and half was my biggest hurdle. That sounds so lame admitting that, but it’s the truth. Coffee with half and half (lots of it) was my favorite food luxury, my “comfort food” go-to. Although, I often dreamed of the day where I could proudly say, “I drink my coffee black” with a little real-woman swagger to my tone. But, I tried a day or two here and there to drink straight black coffee, and it was just too bitter and unpleasant. Why would I want to go without it?

Then, in March, Snovid happened. So many people were without electricity and/or water for days upon days. We only went without it for several hours. During the ten days of the Snowpocalypse, I knew that the time was approaching when I would run out of my half and half. I knew right then and there, it was the time to just let it run out. Don’t buy more. Instead of focusing on the bitter taste when I sipped that first few sips in the morning, use it as a time to reflect on God’s goodness and provision. No swagger. No boast. Only thankfulness. Now, I drink my “bitter” coffee with joy, and it doesn’t even seem bitter any longer.

So what about the ice cream? Ice cream became synonymous with celebration or the extending of an outing. It was a symbol of the start of a thing or the rejoicing of a thing or a keep-going of a thing or a I’ve-had-a-hard-day kind of thing. It would mark the beginning of Spring Break with the eating of a pint of ice cream (a defining moment/a starting now) or a let’s continue after dinner with: “Let’s get ice cream!” or the celebration of an accomplishment or the “pick me up” of fatigue.

How to break that cycle? Choose a non-food celebration. Walk on the trail, buy yourself a book, or drink hot tea. Somehow break the idea of food as the ONLY go-to for celebrating. There ARE other ways.

And the cheese?? Well, not to go into too much detail here, but suffice it to say that you should not eat a cheese stick that has been in your work bag for twelve days. I’m not even going to tell the story of how that happened, but just know that the next-day results were not pretty. The positive outcome: I was ready to ditch cheese for a bit. So …

Hello, Whole30! Now I was ready to begin.

Here are my nine tips for success/positive benefits of Whole30 (so far!) Maybe I’ll have ten tips after Day 30. haha.

1. Half the battle is knowing what’s keeping you from starting. Identify those and figure out how to proceed.
2. Remove your scales. DO NOT WEIGH. This component has been THE most satisfying part of the whole thing for me. I don’t feel controlled by the scales. I cannot tell you how many times I would “be good” food/exercise-wise for several days and then see the scales go up and throw up my hands and feel deflated. Now instead my pants just zip up easier, and I feel joy.
3. It’s all in your head. Be ready for the “psychological” aspect of food. I can be a stress eater. So, have permissible food ready for that. I got stressed early on one day and plowed through a bunch of grapes and sunflower seeds. No guilt. Just moved on.
4. Have food at the ready! Preparation is everything. Carry apples or a bag of almonds with you everywhere.
5. Eat until you are full. Best rule of the whole thing.
6. Enjoy feeling good! I have energy, and that feels great.
7. Don’t focus on what you are “giving up” but on what ALL you GET to eat. Fill up and enjoy.
8. Read other people’s testimonies. It is a huge help. The timeline of how you feel on each of the 30 days is super helpful too. I had been really nervous about days ten and eleven. I had heard they were difficult. So, I had plenty of good food on hand and ready to go!
9. Commit—no outs. No excuses.

Make the main thing the main thing. Feeling good and learning habits of eating well are the goals, not weight loss.

It’s like how “getting good grades” should be the result of good study habits and the love of learning, but not the main point. Weight loss is a wonderful benefit of healthy eating habits, but not the main point of Whole30.

So, how am I going to celebrate when I finish my first 30 Days? Not with food! I plan on watching the Hamilton musical for the sixth time! Somehow it worked out that I am reading/listening to one hour a day of the Alexander Hamilton book which is in perfect sync with my Whole30 days. They will both conclude on the same day. So, Day 31, June 20, what time is it? Show time!