In Jane’s Own Words…
I came to paleo because I was tired. I’m 25, which is too early to be exhausted by dieting, but that’s where I was. I’d lost a significant amount of weight – about 60 or 70 pounds – very, very quickly my freshman year of college (pro tip: just because you CAN eat Special K for every meal because you’re a vegetarian and don’t like dorm food doesn’t mean you SHOULD eat Special K for every meal). I went from being extremely obese to mildly overweight – a transition that is mindblowing in every possible way. But I was existing almost entirely on sugar of multiple kinds, I was hungry all the time (and barely restraining my binge eating tendencies), I had to take a nap every day, and I knew I wasn’t where I could be. Today, as I’m on day 11 of another Whole 30, that’s all changed. I sprint a lot. I’ve gone from a size 12 to a size 6 over the course of my Whole30 journeys (which is mindblowing in an entirely different way). I eat sweet potatoes topped with nutmeg as a dessert sometimes, because it’s awesome. When I feel tempted to eat something non-paleo, I think “how will this make me feel?” and the answer is usually “like complete garbage” and then I’m good to go. I can wear what I want, and having been an extremely obese teenage girl, that’s huge. For the first time in my entire life, my obesity is not my most notable physical characteristic. I only realized recently that I’m tall. I never noticed I was tall before. That’s how disconnected I was from my body – I didn’t realize I was tall. I could write 5,000 words on the positive things the Whole9 team has done for people. About how you’ve stayed above the paleo internet argument fray, and developed materials that could not be easier to use for people who, like me, feel like they have nowhere else to turn. You have done so much for people whom you will never have the opportunity to meet. That’s incredible. So, to sum up: thank you. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to live a life beyond obesity. Turns out, there’s a lot going on. There are things to see and places to be. Since I began reading your work, I’ve seen the Atlantic and Pacific oceans for the first time. I’ve worn dresses in public. I’ve gone on dates with actual humans. I’ve gone to music festivals. I’ve begun living the life of someone who is 25 years old and living in a major city. I’ve begun LIVING a life. 
Want to share your Whole30 transformation with the world?
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