Day 45: LIfe After the Whole 30 and How to Stay on Track

Life After Whole 30: How to Stay on Track

The 45 Day Challenge is coming to an end — Ahhhh, “the feeling of accomplishment” or more like, “YES, I am finally done with it and can go back to my normal life?” One of our winners, Mandy, stated in her essay “‘It’s over!’ That was the first thought that came to my mind when I woke up on day 31. However, my second thought, that came very quickly, was “Wait a minute…I’m not going back!”

Reading the testimonials past contestants, most used the Whole 30 as a spring board for changing their eating habits. The goal was not only to do that, but to also gain insight as to what food does to our bodies. Hopefully, the take away is that as you re-introduce non-Whole 30 foods, you begin to see more clearly how certain foods effect your body.

So, one of the questions is HOW DO WE STAY ON TRACK? Although it may be our goal to stick with it, life hits and when we aren’t trying to complete a goal ,creep often comes in before we realize it.

Keys to staying on track:

1. Make a goal or two. Remember back to how you felt and what really struck you as you did the challenge. Was it the energy level that you liked? Performance and recovery was better? Make a goal around the one or two things that are important to you and work to incorporate that into your daily life. Working items in smaller increments is the key to getting it to be part of your lifestyle.

2. Learn from the re-introduction of foods. Pay attention to what happens and what you body does. But, here is a novel idea…if you didn’t love the food before, or if your taste buds have changed and it doesn’t taste the same…cut it out of your diet! Don’t go back to it.

3. Grab a buddy or make it a family affair. You are more likely to stick with something when you are doing it together. Accountability can be very helpful. Many participants stated that they were going to try to get their kids or their family to eat this way. But, also, don’t forget that you have plenty of support and help right at your very own Exercise Coach Studio! The coaches are all there to help you with questions and encouragement.

4. Keep inspired. Continue to read up on nutrition and try new recipes. There are all kinds of resources out there at your fingertips. Researching and trying new things gives new life to our routines. Never let it get boring…if it gets boring you are more likely to revert back to old habits.

Day 44: Resources

As we approach the end of our Whole30 challenge, we want to know that you are fully equipped to continue this journey past the 30 day mark. Continue to educate yourself on eating clean and well-balanced meals. Continue to make good food choices. You have made many changes in the past 30 days but may still need to continue to make modifications to find that perfect balance to accomplish satiety and continued weight-loss.

There are a number of websites out there that are tremendous resources to help in continuing the education process and even more with fabulous recipes. Websites we recommend are:

Whole9 - http://whole9life.com/

Whole30 Program - http://whole9life.com/

Robb Wolf - http://robbwolf.com/ 

• Full of blog posts, articles and podcasts including a wealth of empirical and scientific information (cutting edge discoveries from genetics, biochemistry, immunology and life extension research) about "the original human diet".

The Paleo Diet - http://thepaleodiet.com/

• Website of Dr. Loren Cordain, author of The Paleo Diet. Includes published research and nutritional tools, as well as practical, applicable information about the Paleo Diet.

Mark's Daily Apple - http://www.marksdailyapple.com

• Mark Sisson has more articles on healthy eating, moving and living than you could hope to read in a month. A great entry-level resource for those looking to expand their knowledge.

Chris Kesser - http://chriskresser.com/

• Chris Kesser, a licensed acupuncturist, writes about health, wellness and balance in this informative blog.

Everyday Paleo - http://everydaypaleo.com/

• Sarah Fragoso is a mother of three who creates delicious, healthy meals for her family and yours. Her cookbook Everyday Paleo is highly recommended).

Happy reading!

Day 43: Make Healthy Habits Stick For Good!

Don’t Believe The Lie of Motivation

It’s normal to be highly driven one week and rather apathetic the next. Psychologists have confirmed this phenomenon by studying human behavior. Don’t waste time feeling bad about your fluctuating levels of motivation; this only makes you “more human.” Roll with it and adjust accordingly.

Write Down Your Goals

Have you ever written down your health-related goals? You probably think this sounds unnecessary, but it actually works. According to one study, people who wrote down their goals and shared updates with their friends on a weekly basis were 33% more likely to achieve them.

Specify the When, Where, and How

It’s hard to achieve goals unless you have a solid plan of action. So to reach them, specify the when, where, and how. This is called implementation intention.

Set Realistic Deadlines

Set deadlines, but make them realistic. You’re more likely to stick with a plan if it’s doable!

Get Support from Friends or Family

Friends give encouragement and make you accountable for your actions. If you have a friend that has similar goals, you’re in luck. Studies show that people who exercise together are more likely to stick to the program.³ So buddy up whenever possible in order to hit your goals.

Use Healthy Competition

Competition is a great motivator. For some reason, winning can really increase your self-esteem. If you’re planning to lose weight or eat healthy, consider making it into a competition. Compete with friends, neighbors or even coworkers. Why? Research shows that competitive weight loss actually works. Apparently, the TV networks have already caught on to this. ;-)

Don’t Get Discouraged

You’re not going to be consistent 100% of the time, and that’s okay. When you’re good, reward yourself for the things that you have accomplished. People respond better to reward than punishment when they need to change behaviors. So when you’re “bad,” please don’t beat yourself up!