How I Broke My Food Addictions with Whole 30

I love the holidays and all the festive foods that go along with it.   I look forward to the cookies, candy and eggnog as much as the next person.  No way am I going to deny myself those once a year treats, they are totally worth it.  But after weeks of indulging, my body thinks it can have anything it wants, anytime it wants.  When I realize that I can't make it through the day without a little sweet treat or a square of chocolate, it's time for a self imposed intervention.  My name is Melissa and I'm a sugar and carb addict. 

This is why I join all the other dieters in January.  It's a good time to start fresh and cleanse my system.  Last year I did the Fast Metabolism Diet and shared my thoughts here.  I thought it was a healthy eating plan and I was happy with the results.  The only downside was the intense amount of planning and preparation that went into the different phases of the diet each week. 

This year I wanted something a little simpler and decided to give Whole 30 a try.  I had read a lot about it online and thought the restrictive guidelines would be good for me.  No grains, dairy, dried beans or sugar.  That meant no bread products, pasta, rice or potatoes, all foods that  break down like sugar in the body, and are especially problematic for those of us who have insulin resistance.  For the most part, I make healthy carb choices- brown rice over white, steel cut oats over quick cooking, whole wheat breads and pastas over white.  The problem is that I eat too much of even the good stuff.  Knowing my all or nothing personality, cutting back wouldn't work for me, I had to make a clean break.  Thirty days may or may not sound like a long time to you, but when your body is used to having something everyday, it can be tough at first to go cold turkey.  For a couple of days, I wanted my carbs, badly.  But after that, I was ok. 

So, what did you eat, you might ask?  Lean protein (chicken, fish, pork, beef), vegetables (no corn, but pretty much anything else), fruits and healthy fats.  That meant I could have nut butters, avocados, olive and coconut oils.   I focused on all the good things I could have and tried to put the other stuff out of my mind.  I was never hungry.  I did get tired of eating eggs for breakfast.  Towards the end of the month, I could make dessert for my family and not even be tempted by it.  That my friends, is real progress.

Dinner menus for the week looked something like this:

* pork chops with cinnamon apples

   roasted sweet potatoes (sweet potatoes are allowed)

   balsamic brussels sprouts

*oriental chicken salad with grilled chicken

   mandarin oranges and nuts

*grilled hamburgers (no bun for me)

  sweet potato fries

  coleslaw 

* grilled chicken with salsa and avocado

   broccoli

* salmon with mustard sauce

   swiss chard 

* steak with creamed garlic spinach

* pork tenderloin (cooked in crockpot)

   spaghetti squash with walnuts

   roasted vegetables

*oven fried salmon cakes

  lemon spinach

*roast beef with veggies

  green beans

I made a lot of recipes from this cookbook, including mayonnaise.  With that healthy mayo, made with light olive oil, I could then create mayonnaise based salads like chicken, egg and tuna, as well as coleslaw and garlic creamed spinach, that was to die for.  From this same cookbook, I made ketchup (without all the sugar), oven salmon cakes, cauliflower rice (it's better than it sounds) and broccoli salad.  I learned about some new food items too, like coconut milk and ghee.  I adapted some of my tried and true recipes, like butternut squash soup.  When planning my meals, I would start out with a protein, like roast chicken or beef, and then add the veggies that I could eat as sides.  No measuring, counting calories or taking supplements or drops.  It was really pretty easy.  I knew what I could eat, and what I couldn't and I just stuck with the plan.  For 30 days.  

At the end of the month, I had lost ten pounds and dropped my blood sugar into double digits.  That's what I was really going for.  That, and feeling in control once again, of the food I eat.  Thank you Whole 30 for helping me subdue my addictions to carbs and sugar.  I'm sleeping better.  I have more energy.  It feels good!

From here on out, this is my plan.  I'm reintroducing some carbs back into my diet.  I'm eating oatmeal again.  I'm drinking milk and having yogurt and cheese.  I still haven't had bread, but I baked some good bread this week, and when I'm ready to have a serving, I will.  The key for me is to forward think through my eating choices for the day.  If I want oatmeal for breakfast, then I 'll have it.  But that means no carbs for lunch or dinner.  If I want pasta for dinner, then I have to eat eggs for breakfast and a salad or soup for lunch.  In other words, I'm going to enjoy carbs again, but on my terms.   Am I going to bake cakes and cookies?  You bet.  But not as often.  When it's time to celebrate, I plan on celebrating. I'm already thinking about what fantastic, chocolate something I can make for Valentine's Day.  But those splurges will be the exception and not the norm.  I love food too much to deny myself the pleasure that comes from preparing and serving a wonderful meal.  But food cannot be an idol that I worship, and yes, I do believe it had come to that.  Now I have it in it's proper place and I pray that I can keep it there.