The "Whole 30" approach

Hey guys, this week we’re doing something different. We’d like to share Darrel’s experience with the “Whole 30” approach. Darrell is one of our online clients. His main goal is to get stronger, and fitter. He goes to the gym 2-3x/wk and supplements his training with long walks most days of the week. Darrel was very kind to share his experience with us, and we hope it brings value to you. Enjoy the read:

Hello everyone, I would like to share my experience with a cleanse that has worked well for me. Some of you may have already heard about Whole 30. It is not considered a diet but more of a cleanse to determine if the foods you are currently eating impact your body weight and how you feel negatively.

This is my second time in 3 years to do this cleanse. It is a 30 day plan where you remove the following from your daily diet. (no cheating or it does not work, even a one time having a piece of cake at your birthday party will stop all the progress)

No Added Sugar, No Grains including pasta or bread made from wheat, No Legumes, No dairy, No soy, No alcohol, and lastly, NO FUN, but very doable and you never feel hungry.

I continued my normal exercise routine, although in the beginning my energy level was low, but by week 2 energy was back.

Whole30 is not a calorie counting or portion control cleanse. There are thousands of recipes to mimic foods you are already eating such as, sesame ginger sauce, or barbecue sauce and many others. Coconut Aminos are great for creating very delicious sauces. It is not easy to eat out unless you can just get protein and no sauces. 99.9% of every sauce or condiment pre-made has sugar in it, Including salad dressing. But Whole Foods has a great selection of Whole30 approved bottled sauces and dressings.

After 30 days, the plan asks that you introduce one of the items you have abstained from each week to find what may not be processed well by your body. I do not have any food allergies so this part of the plan is not really for me. Frankly, I do like my cocktails so that was the hard part. Club soda with chunks of fruit was my go to cocktail.

My results were the same both experiences with the cleanse. After the first week of being hard to stick to the plan, I felt great and can already see the difference on the scale. (they tell you not to weigh yourself along the way, but in my case, it was very motivating to check every few days).

Week 2 I was already used to it and had made some great meals using the recipes that are compliant.

Week 3 begins a fast loss of weight daily, roughly a pound a day is coming off. At this point your body is using what it has stored since it is not receiving daily from the new meal plan.

On day 30, I had gone from 196 lbs to 179 lbs. 17 pounds and was never hungry during the cleanse.

I continue to use the recipes when cooking at home to maintain as I do not feel I am missing out on great flavors or having any cravings. I am also much more aware of how much sugar is in everything including savory dishes. Avoiding sugar is GREAT for my body!

For more information checkout https://whole30.com and https://realplans.com

Thank you for letting me share my Whole30 Cleanse experience with you. It is not easy, but only 30 days and it could change your eating habits forever.

Darrell Basham