If you haven’t heard a bit about my weight loss journey yet, you can check it out here.
As you probably know, losing a significant amount of weight is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s also an iterative process. You’ve got to constantly adapt and tweak your routine. Without those changes, you risk hitting a plateau or, worse, not making any progress at all.
Before I found the Whole30 program, I tried it all: meal replacement shakes and bars, Special K, counting calories, and loading up on “healthy” grains, all while trying to exercise. Honestly, nothing seemed to stick. Maybe I didn’t give any of them enough time, or maybe I just didn’t have the willpower back then. When I started my first Whole30, yeah, it was tough, but as I started seeing the benefits, I was hooked.
Now, I’m not here to hit you with a bunch of scientific jargon or research. This is just my own experience, my own opinions. So, let’s get to it. Here are some of the biggest lessons I learned during my 120-pound weight loss journey.
Calories Count, But So Does What You Eat
One of the first things you realize when you track your calorie intake is that whole foods are way less calorie-dense than processed foods. The Whole30 will probably result in a calorie deficit—that’s just how it goes. But here’s the thing: if you feel like you’re not eating enough, eat more. And if you think you’re eating too much, eat less. It’s okay to feel a little hungry, but don’t starve yourself.
My rule of thumb was three square meals a day, with sensible snacks in between. That worked for me, but everyone’s different!
Jump on the Scale—Often
Yep, I said it. One of the Whole30 rules is “don’t weigh yourself during the program.” If that works for you, great. But I found that regular weigh-ins kept me accountable and motivated. Some days the scale would drop a pound or two, other days it wouldn’t budge. Either way, it was feedback that what I was doing was working, and that gave me the motivation to keep going. We all love instant gratification, and this is one way to get it.
Make It a Game
Let’s be real, nobody wants to do something that’s boring or not fun. That’s why so many companies gamify everyday activities. Do yourself a favor and make a game out of it!
When you’re grocery shopping, play “spot the added sugar” on food labels. Or challenge yourself to try a new fruit or vegetable every week. If you’re exercising, challenge yourself to walk an extra 10 minutes or an extra mile each day.
Sugar is Sneaky
I’ve got to say, cutting out sugar is HARD. Food manufacturers are super sneaky about how they add sugar to foods, and we, as consumers, have to be vigilant about what we buy. I have no doubt that this is a huge reason why we have such a problem with obesity in the US.
Get Ready to Shop—A Lot
Whole foods just don’t stretch as far as processed foods. They go bad faster, and you tend to eat more of them. Remember what I said about whole foods being less calorie-dense? Well, calories = energy, and if you don’t have enough, you won’t have energy, so you’ll need to eat more.
Stock Up on Success
And for the love of all that is good, get rid of the junk food. If you’ve got a package of Oreos or chocolate lying around, you will eat them. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been there, and I’m sure a lot of you can relate. Oreos are delicious and way easier to eat than vegetables. As much as you try to resist, they’ll be staring you in the face every time you open the pantry. Do yourself a favor and toss them, or take them to your workplace to share (just kidding… mostly).
Keep your pantry loaded with nuts and nut butter, and your fridge stocked with meats and veggies, and you’ll be golden.
Anyway, I’m planning to continue this list in a future post, and I’ll be branching out a bit beyond Whole30/Paleo. I hope you found this helpful, and if you could share it with your friends and family, I’d really appreciate it.
Until next time,
—Sean
P.S. What are some of the lessons you’ve learned on your own weight loss journey? Share them in the comments below!
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