From Inside Out: Why I Love Whole30

I recently had an awakening – a bodily experience, if you will.

Get this: I felt healthy.

Not just confident in my body and my appearance, but I felt healthy from the inside out.

And here’s why:

In early July, I started something called The Whole30. If you’ve never heard of it before, it’s basically a way for you to build yourself a foundation of healthy eating while only committing to 30 days, because we all know committing to something for life right off the bat is a great way to fall off the wagon. After those 30 days, you make a decision – to go back to the way you were eating before, or to stick with it.

I’m the kind of person who gets all manner of excited about a new thing and then gets distracted by something else not long after. So completing the Whole30 was a big deal for me, and it wasn’t always easy. But let me tell you something, I’ve never felt better in my entire life.

2 days in, gone was the bloating and the lethargy.

10 days in and I found a new strength in resisting temptation and overcoming cravings.

18 days in and I was over the hump, feeling clean and energetic.

30 days done, and I felt like an entirely new person.

I celebrated, as I’m sure many do, with a few of the foods that I missed here and there during my Whole30 journey, but truthfully… I didn’t miss them that much, nor did I want to continue eating them. I’ve given myself a little time to indulge in lattes and ice cream and all those treacherously delicious treats, but each time I eat them I remember how good I felt before. Strong, lively, healthy.

The journey to health is so different for every person and I’m a firm believer in doing what works for you and what makes you feel happy and fulfilled.

Your health – mental, physical, and spiritual – should never be up to anyone but you.

In saying that, remember that you’re the only one who can make the changes you want happen.

The most important lesson I learned was not about my physical appearance, but about who I am as a person.

I learned to value my body not for its outward appearance, but for the miracle that it is.

I learned that treating your body with respect and love is one of the most important things you can do. After all, it’s with you for your whole life.

Be kind to it. Love it. Because your body sure loves you.