Finishing Up the Whole 30

The month of January is drawing to a close. For me, it has been a month of trials. (I've told you about my dog's emergency surgery, but if you missed that post, it is titled Stressed Out.) Once the holidays were over, I committed to 30 days of clean eating: no sugar or sweeteners of any kind, no flour or products made from flour, no alcohol, no fried foods, no junk food. No treats. I even cut out peanut butter! My meals have consisted of meats, poultry, fish, lots of veggies, healthy fats, nuts, and a little fruit.

My husband asked me if I'm going to indulge in a huge carb-fest now that my month of purity is coming to an end. To be honest, I don't have any plans. I'm not really craving anything. This is one of the perks of eating clean for a month: all those cravings disappear.

And that's not the only perk! After just one month, I see many changes in my body and mind. I've lost weight for sure. (I didn't weigh myself at the beginning and I won't weigh myself at the end, so I can't give you specific numbers.) My belly is flatter. My skin is clearer. My gums feel much healthier. I'm sleeping way better-- longer stretches and more deeply. My moods have been mostly stable, except for the couple of days when stress got the better of me. I feel proud of myself for sticking with my program, even when the going got tough.

Although I'll probably have some wine during the month of February, I won't fall off the wagon face first into the muck and mire. I still plan to avoid sugar almost all of the time. A Valentines Day treat might pass my lips, but during the rest of the month I'll remain sugar-free. Because I'm now in the habit of eating clean, it won't be so difficult to simply continue down this path.

I found the month of January to be an easy time to experiment with healthy eating. There are no major holidays that demand baking cookies or sipping champagne. But with a little extra willpower, you could get through this program any time of the year. Is it worth the sacrifice? Absolutely. You will gain so much more than you will give up. I highly recommend it.

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