Rachel: Why I Whole30

There are countless reasons why I choose to live the Whole30 lifestyle. That being said, I think the biggest reasons stem from the way living and eating with the purpose of making myself more healthy make me feel. Rather than describe where I am today, I want to share a letter I wrote to Melissa in August. Melissa was looking for NYC area women whose lives had been impacted by Whole30. To me, this email articulates the deep impact Whol30 has had on my life. I can’t wait to hear how it changes yours.

Date: September 24, 2014 at 7:01 pm

Subj: My Whole30 Story – Rachel from Manhattan

Hi Melissa,

My name is Rachel. I am a 26 year old currently living in NYC and living the Whole30 life. Last March, my boyfriend of four years and the man I thought I was going to marry broke up with me. (Author’s Note: Why I thought I was nearing a major life milestone with a man who referred to himself in the third person as “The Bro King” is somewhat confusing in hindsight, but there I was.) I drank too much, ate too much – pretty much anything to make myself numb. This carried on until the end of July when I got an awful mouth, throat, and lymph node infection. On top of being sick, sluggish, and miserable, I was still just trying to do anything to not hurt. I had enough. So I signed up for the August Whole30. I had done a Whole30 last year (going from my highest weight of 157 pounds to 143 pounds)

The first week was tough. I cried – a lot. Not shoving my face in a box of cookies (Author’s Note: my preference at this time was actually to eat Funfetti icing straight out of the can with my index finger, but even I was too embarrassed to share that with Melissa) forced me to deal with the pain I was feeling. In addition, I’m the Dean of an elementary school in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, and I was preparing for the start of the school year. It was A LOT.

Then, something pretty incredible happened. I hit Day 10, and saw your Instagram post that Day 10 is the day most people quit. In that moment, I knew it wouldn’t be me. I was going to do this, and do it right. For me. Not for my failed relationship. Not to prove anything to him or anyone else. Just for me.

I’ve been cruising since day 10 and haven’t stopped. Normally, my 5 am wake up for school was miserable. Now, I’m well rested and ready for a great day (Author’s Note: this NYC winter has made getting out of bed quite challenging, but at least my physical body isn’t slowing me down.) I don’t crash at 2 pm like I used to. Instead, I look forward to afternoons with my favorite students. When teachers are snacking on candy or cookies after school, I just no longer crave it. My tastes have totally changed. Though my Whole30 ended on August 30th, I haven’t stopped. I matter too much to me to give up on myself.

I celebrated my 26th birthday last Thursday and I can tell you with my whole (30) heart that it was truly an incredible celebration of what a year it’s been. I am welcoming this year with an open heart and belly full of delicious, energizing fuel each day. I can’t wait to see what the next year has in store.

I hope to hear from you and learn more about the opportunity in NY, but if not, my deepest gratitude for all you’ve done for me and my health. Lots of love from me.

My very best,

Rachel

As you can see, Whole30 quite literally brought me back to life. It also forced me to explore the deep emotional relationship I have with food (more on that to come, I promise) and break the incredibly damaging cycle of emotional eating to which I had become accustomed. As I continue to live the Whole30 life (we’re currently on #Day50 of our #Whole100) I learn more about myself, my habits, and my ties to food each and every day.

What have you learned about yourself on the #Whole30? Why do you live #Whole30?

With Love and Lettuce,

Rachel

#whole30