The Whole30 diet is officially over. I survived! 30 days without a shred of sugar, grain, alcohol, soy, dairy or gluten. And oh my coconut oil, did I learn A LOT .
I know what you want to know… Did I lose weight? Well, I’m sorry to disappoint , but I’m not sure because I didn’t weigh myself before. Yes, I did see changes in my body that are exciting, but that’s not what this was about for me…
You see, I come from an Italian family. If you know anything about Italian people, we like to eat. Food is not just for survival, it’s a way to bond, connect and commiserate. We talk about what we are having for dinner over morning coffee. At dinner, we talk about what we are going to eat the next day.
A tragedy happens? We eat. Something to celebrate? We eat. So, it’s safe to say my relationship with food runs deep. It’s actually programmed in my DNA. Both a blessing and a curse. Like so many of us, food has always been my way of dealing with unpleasant emotions. So, I wanted to see what was possible here and what shifts I could make.
I also wanted to see just how good I could possibly feel.
Logically, I know what I put in my body matters. Physically, I wanted to feel it.
What I learned:
It all comes down to choice: I am not special and I don’t just have “more will-power” than you. Nope, sorry. You are talking to a true sugar addict who on many occasions has eaten icing with a spoon until I felt sick .
It was just as hard for me as it would be for you.
I made a commitment and followed through. I said no to things for 30 days in order to say yes to other things. I got real with myself and took responsibility for my shit. I planned for and created an environment where I could prioritize my health for 30 days. I told people what I was up to and had great friends cheering me on the whole way.
What you put in your body matters: I feel good, like really, really good. I feel more clear headed than I ever have. I sleep so deeply that I wake up every morning not knowing what day it is. I have more energy than I ever have. This is not a coincidence. It’s because I have been feeding my body food that it loves. There is no magic pill, supplements or shortcuts here. Not putting crap in your body is what works. End of story and don’t let anyone tell or sell you any different.
And my most important lesson of them all.
There is no end point: I’ve noticed with people, including myself that we are all looking to make changes that have an end point. Like “oh I just have to make it to day 30 and then I can go out for pizza, donuts and beer.” or ” I just have to act this way for a little while to get what I want.”
Then I can go back to my old ways..
Am I right or am I right?
That is not how this works.
That is not how anything in the game of life works.
This goes for every kind of change you could make. The truth is, there is no “end”. The whole point of any kind of behavior change is that it becomes a lifestyle change. It’s about building new permanent habits that support your goals, whatever that may be.
Most people come to me as clients because they want to create behavior changes. Most of the time that specific behavior or lack of a behavior has created something they don’t want in their life. A lot of people are looking for a quick fix and think I have the magic formula. Let me make this perfectly clear: I do not. Anyone who tells you they do is selling you snake oil.
You actually already know it. I’m here to help you uncover it, support you in implementing it and holding you accountable to following through every step of the way to get exactly what you want in life. And call you out on your shiz in the meantime 🙂
So, this was about seeing how good I could feel. This was about starting to heal a relationship to food and sugar. 30 days will not cure 30 years but it’s a start. I’m not exactly sure what my diet is going to look like moving forward but right now I’m happily riding a wave of accomplishment and confidence that comes with what I did this past month. I’m thrilled to see what I’m going to do next with what I have learned the past 30 days.
You can change your behaviors. You can take control of your life. It takes patience, it takes kindness towards yourself and it takes leaning into the process not the result.
Want to talk more about this?
You know where to find me..
Boldly and Bravely yours,
Jessica
I am silver lining finder. Throw me in any situation and I’ll not only find something good but I’ll also find the opportunity. That’s exactly what brought me to my coaching career. 
