I completed the Whole30 Challenge on March 2, 2020. How did it go? In this post and podcast episode, I discuss Whole30 Challenge results a week after completing the challenge and answer the next question: “Whats next?”
The Story Thus Far….
In my last article titled “What is Whole30? How to Reset Your Body and Mind,” I discussed the following topics:
- Health and Fitness Renew You in 2019
- What Happened after Renew You?
- Optifast Liquid Diet
- What is the Whole30?
- What is the Whole30 Challenge?
- Day 10 Thoughts about the Whole30 Challenge
For those of you who don’t know what the Whole30 or the Whole30 Challenge are, I really recommend checking out that article and learning more about it. There are links to resources and information in that article that are valuable for starting your own challenge.
The beauty is: this is all FREE and you can start a Whole30 Challenge at any time!
My Whole30 Challenge
As I discussed in the previous Whole30 article, this is not a diet, a detox, or a weight loss program. For this challenge, you are resetting your body, mind and habits over the 30 day period. During that time, your body does react to the changes. After all, you have been swimming in a sea of hyper-palatable processed foods, sugar, sweeteners, dairy products, alcohol and carbohydrates. Our bodies and minds get addicted to such things because they taste great (but are nutritionally poor)!
So many people talked about their mental and physical reactions during this process that they created a typical Whole30 Challenge timeline. Before your start or during the Challenge, you should take a look at this timeline. You will be surprised at how many people have felt the same way as you do during this process.
I can tell you that it isn’t all unicorns, pink clouds and pretty rainbows. I firmly believe that food is medicine, and you have been treating yourself to some of the most powerful drugs in the world: alcohol, sugar, processed foods, dairy, carbohydrates and others. You are turning off those foods, and you mind and body will react. All I can say is:
“You are resetting after years and years of abuse. Keep going! It does get better!”
I started the Whole30 Challenge on February 2, 2020, and completed it on March 2, 2020. Over the 30-day challenge, I had a bit of different reaction than most. See, I had been on a liquid diet for three months prior to trying the Whole30 Challenge. I did not suffer the same exact reset issues because I had already gone through them!
But….
I did have a Diet Dew addiction and a dairy addiction (i.e., coffee creamer). Granted, the Diet Dew addiction was a big one. Cutting off the Diet Dew gave me some powerful headaches, but I got through them eventually. I have not had any diet soda since starting the Whole30 Challenge, and I have started drinking tea and sparkling water (lots of sparkling water).
In addition, I had a few times during the Whole30 Challenge where I woke up at 3:30 or 4:00 AM and was wide awake (I had one last Saturday as well)! Those were frustrating nights! For some reason, I was up. My mind started working on problems and designs, and I just could not turn it off. It is where I came up for a design for my grow light system when my LED set failed recently, and I have designed a whole garden system with a pest-proof fence, greenhouse and orchard for a “someday” home (someday soon)!
I recently watched a documentary on Nikola Tesla, and he had similar breakthroughs. The ideas came to him in a flash (usually with a migraine), and the entire design came to him in that moment. He did not need a blueprint because it was all done!
Now, I am no Nikola Tesla, but I have the dream garden design fully laid out in my mind. I know what I want, what features to include and how it will all flow. More on that another day!
Whole30 Challenge Results
I know you all are wondering about the results, and probably the biggest one is about the weight loss during the challenge. It is time to tally up the results!
Weight Loss = 13 pounds!
I am feeling great, looking a lot better (if I do say so myself) and feeling confident about setting course on a new healthy lifestyle.
What are the other Whole30 Challenge Results:
- I do not have the cravings I used to have before the Whole30 Challenge
- My mind is clear and not foggy
- I am walking better (smoother gait and further distances) even with my arthritic knees
- Clothes are fitting better
- I have more energy
These are very positive results! I am very excited about them, and these Whole30 Challenge Results show me that significant progress can be made by adjusting what we eat. After all, I was not slaving away in the gym for hours on end during February. In fact, I did not amplify working out (going to the gym and walking) until the end of February. My workouts and walks were not incredibly difficult, and that is something that I will continue to work on in the future (more movement).
What’s Next?
This is a great question! I was a little worried about wrapping up the Whole30 Challenge last week, and I told Julie that. I wanted the results to continue!
We had decided to switch to a paleo-style diet. What is the difference? That is probably worth a podcast episode and post by itself, but one of the main differences is adding some sugars like honey and pure maple syrup into your diet (not allowed in Whole30).
Fortune smiled upon me, however. Team Rhino (a group of friends in Georgia who completed a Whole30 Challenge in January) wanted to go for another round. At the same time, my friend Mr. Tactical Jay and his wife Andrea wanted to try it as well!
On Monday, March 9, 2020, we started our second round of the Whole30 Challenge! This is Day 2 of the Second Round Whole30 Challenge, and we are pretty motivated to keep pushing forward with this reset.
Whole30 Challenge Round 2
For Round 2, I am going to be going back to the 24 Hour Plan and being more intentional about what I eat, movement, being grateful and getting stuff done. I am also going to be increasing movement and seeing what happens during this next phase. Beautiful weather and melting snow helps to get me active and outside.
You can get your copy of the 24 Hour Plan by completing the form below! You will also get enrolled in our newsletter, and I will be working on this in 2020 (I promise)!
Join Us!
You can start your Whole30 Challenge at any time! I was skeptical, but now I am a believer. I have seen good, measurable results. I have also had some results that you can’t measure, but you can feel. I know, that sounds weird, but it is the truth.
By the way, if you want a comparison, look at this picture from Christmas 2017 compared to this picture. Do you SEE the difference?
If you are willing to do this, you will see some changes. Results vary and are never guaranteed, but you can give this shot and see. After all, I have tried 16 different systems and plans and failed at 14. I found something that works…..maybe it will work for you too!
Join Team Rhino! We are tough and resilient as a rhinoceros. Nothing will stop us! Join by sending me a note through the Small Scale Life Contact Us page (click this text to go there).
Join us for this Whole30 Challenge today!
Watch on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel
I recorded a video on March 2, 2020, to summarize my Whole30 Challenge. While I discuss “No Spend March,” we have not been focused on that as we have been gearing up for the global pandemic. Julie and I are swinging back into this since we have food and supplies. More on that soon!
In a second update to this video, I have restarted the Whole30 Challenge. I am doing a Round Two with Team Rhino! Please contact me if you want to join; I am on Day 2 on March 17, 2020!
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Special Thanks
For Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw