After working in the health & fitness industry for over ten years, it still amazes me the power that food has on our bodies. It can be our greatest medicine or our greatest demise. After almost two years of reading and researching the Whole30 (mostly just hemming and hawing), I finally did my first reset in July of 2017 and I had outstanding results…and I’m not talking about my weight. It was the non-scale victories that I shouted from the roof tops: I was falling asleep faster and staying asleep through the night, my skin was clearer, I had boundless energy, I handled stress better and I recovered from injury and illness faster – just to name a few. I felt freakin’ fantastic!

Fast forward to January of this year – I did my second reset alongside thirteen friends and co-workers. It was fun to watch them progress through the program and share in their victories. Being a ‘veteran’ of the program (although still learning!), I found a couple of take-a-ways this go-around that I believe are vital to Whole30 success and I wanted to share.

First, if you have no idea what the Whole30 is or where to get started, please click here. The Whole30 website has a WEALTH of information and it’s all free. Now on to the tips…

1. It’s Better in Groups. Of course it’s possible to go-it alone, but it is SO MUCH EASIER (and more fun) to have a tribe of people to lean on, look to for advice, and hold you accountable. You can cook together, share recipes & tips, and even let out frustrations when your sugar cravings get the best of you. They’ll be there in the trenches alongside you to make sure you don’t give up. See if you can recruit your roommate, spouse, family, or co-workers to join you on this food journey.
2. Meal-Prepping is GOLD. I cannot stress this enough. Take the time (I loved Sunday afternoons) to plan, shop, and cook your meals for the week. This will become your lifeline. There is nothing worse than coming home from a stressful day at work and having to cook a compliant meal when you JUST DON’T WANNA…especially when it would be easier to grab fast food or just eat cheese & crackers while zoning out in front of the TV. But guess what?! This won’t be you because you’ll have prepared something tasty (and compliant!)  and it’s waiting for you in the fridge. All you have to do is warm it up and you’re ready to go. Fast, simple, and it takes the guess work out of figuring out what to eat. Trust me on this one.
3. Expectations are the Thief of Joy. Every Whole30 experience is different, so don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. And if this isn’t your first Whole30, don’t compare THIS reset to a previous one. They call it ‘compare and despair’ for a reason. When you EXPECT how you’re going to feel (or what you should look like) and it doesn’t happen, you get depressed, sad, and miss out on the victories and improvements that ARE happening in your life and to your body. Don’t let your expectations rob you of the joy of this process.

Best of luck to you, Whole30ers! If you have your own tips for Whole30 success -or- if you have any questions, leave them down in the comments below. xo