I started doing the #JanuaryWhole30 because I wanted to kickstart my healthy lifestyle right from the beginning this year.  2016 is ALL ABOUT ME.  Last year was supposed to be that way but I got derailed and let things slide. I didn’t really fall off the wagon but I wasn’t being as proactive as I should have been.

This year is going to be different.  I’ve started Crossfit, which I adore.  And along with that it was time to really dial in my nutrition and get on the right track for all the performance goals I have this year.  We eat pretty well but it could be better.  Whole 30 was a way to put the goal into motion.

I’ve been doing strict Whole 30 for a little over a week now.  This is my first official Whole 30 so I’m following the rules to a T. There are things I thought would be challenging and things that I thought would be easy.  So far, my perceptions were way off.

Black Coffee

Normally I take my coffee with a splash of vanilla almond milk.  I thought that switching to black coffee with a little coconut oil would be difficult.  I even thought that I might have to give up coffee for a month.  This was a breeze. I probably won’t even go back to creamer in my coffee after this.  After a week of having coconut oil blended with my coffee, I can now just have my coffee straight up black.  This is HUGE for me.

No Added Sugar

This is HARD. I’m not a sugar junkie and don’t have issues with sugar in items. I don’t even have a sweet tooth. However sugar is in everything! Finding compliant items like sausages is very challenging. Even breakfast sausage has added sugar.  And you can’t add natural sugars to items so no honey in salad dressings.  This would be the part that I find more frustrating. I really miss breakfast sausage. Boo.

Energy and Sleep

Right now I feel amazing. I don’t know if I would consider this the Tiger Blood mode because I’m still pretty tired and worn out come 4pm.  However, I think that’s because of Crossfit and not diet.  Crossfit just wears me out but in a good way.  I’m tired from working hard not because of diet.

Sleep has been amazing! Night time anxiety has gone way down and I’m able to fall asleep a lot easier when I wake up during the night.

Doing the Whole 30 has finally got me into meal planning and prepping habit.  I’ve tried to do a little before but never really embraced it.  Now, on Sundays I prep a bunch of foods for the week and have my meals planned out. This makes life so much easier, and saves so much time during the week.  Especially in the mornings when I can just reheat stuff for breakfast.

I’m not doing this for weightloss but if that is one of the results, I’m not going to complain.  I have already lost a lot of bloat and a few inches which I’m basing on the way I feel and how my clothes fit, not because I weighted or measured myself.  Saving that for the end of the challenge!

So far I’m happy to have started this challenge and am looking forward to seeing how I feel at the end.