I’m going to be honest: while the creators of the Whole30 program urge its participants to not start its program with the expressed desire to lose weight, I started the Whole30 in the hopes of jump starting some weight loss. I also weighed myself about once a week. I understand that the whole point of the program is to recondition your brain to not worry about the scale and get a better handle on one’s relationship with food. But, I reasoned that I already had a fairly good diet and just needed some structure to get on the better path.
I can say with confidence, and less than a week remaining, that I am worried about my life after Whole30. I have been sleeping better, whipping up some great go to meals, and find myself much more focused on when working. I don’t want those feelings to go away, but girl scout cookie season is upon us and Valentine’s Day chocolate is on the shelves. As I gaze at the many different varieties of cookies and plan which ones I want, I am struck with the thought of when I will be able to eat them? How will I feel with stockpiles of cookies? What kind of greedy troll have I become? And I hear that nagging voice whisper, ” You can’t stick to this forever. You’re going to slip up and be worse than you were to begin with.”
This, is admittedly bad thinking on my part. However, I think it is the way a few people feel when they come to the end/ reintroduction phase of Whole30. I think so many people felt this way that Melissa Hartwig wrote “Food Freedom Forever” to discuss ways to improve a relationship with food. Saturday, I started reading this 220 page book. I don’t know if she’s sharing any profound information so far, and I may have been sucked into the hype of the program, but I actually do find this book encouraging.
The big takeaway I hope to achieve is 1) successfully finishing my reintroduction phase and 2) understanding that I can have a (or a few) cookies as long as I am not mindlessly eating a whole box of Savannah Smiles.
In “It Starts With Food,” the Hartwigs comment that, as adults, we are capable of making our own food choices. They urge readers to continue to eat as they see fit and recommend that each person find a balance that works for them. I will say that eating organic meats and veggies is more expensive than I can sustain in the long term. I do plan to purchase leaner cuts and don’t crave the freezer section ready made dinners and pizza. Cooking everyday has become a part of my life that I enjoy. I even–gasp–like water!
During my last week and reintroduction phase, I plan to think about the types of foods I would like to eat, assess how it affects my body composition, and then chose what I want to add to my diet. Hopefully, creating a game plan for life after Whole30 will ease my anxiety. If not, I’ll be sure to share.
So long.
4orty2 