As I write this, I am on Day 2 of my third round of the Whole30. I look forward to this reset each time I do it because I know I am going to feel incredible. Honestly, my husband (my reset partner) and I agreed today we already feel better than we have. Score!
I was recently asked by my sister-in-law what my reason for doing another Whole30 is. It’s a completely valid question. I have a legitimate dietary restriction (gluten) and am aware that dairy is problematic for me. I’m reminded of this as I reintroduce dairy following the 30 days.
Here are my reasons:
1. In 2022, I fell “off the wagon” big time. Sinus infections and COVID-19 and added emotional stress following the loss of a friend resulted in me making all kinds of excuses for eating foods that I knew full well would not make me feel better. In all actuality, I adopted worse eating habits than I have had in YEARS.
2. My husband gets on board! My husband is not super health-conscious. I’ve passed on little nuggets to him here and there, but he generally gravitates to Mac n’ Cheese and what I would deem as general convenience food. Whole30 is something he can commit to! He gets frustrated (as most of us do) by the idea of the long re-introduction process, but he sticks to the plan. If this reset means that he eats better for a month, heck yeah I want to be a part of that. Also, the only way this would be financially feasible is if we are eating from the same menu.
3. I love a challenge! For me, especially with the evidence of my successful completion of now two rounds, I find this to be a fun challenge. I have a competitive side, and if I’m committing publicly to something, I put proper accountability measures (plural!) in place and refuse to fail. This is certainly a side-effect of my all-or-nothing personality.
This go-around, instead of withdrawing from social media in January, I am leaning on social media outlets for support and also hoping to provide inspiration for others. I have joined a Facebook group. I have inspired multiple friends to join in and I’m sharing meals here and there to show that this doesn’t have to be fancy or extremely hard. It’s time that I pay it forward!
I look forward to perhaps checking in around the midway point and most definitely following up at the end of reintroduction. I can’t wait to feel my best again.
SARAH HARPER 