profile-StephenD

Stephen D.

New Orleans, LA

My skin cleared up, and my energy levels came back.

I heard about Whole30 early in 2017 from friends who did it. I wrote it off as something I would never be able to do.

In July 2017 I realized I needed to do something to take control of my life in terms of health, wellness & nutrition. I had not exercised once since I started my Ph.D. program in 2014. I wasn’t making the best choices when it came to food.

That night I did a Target run for The Whole30 and committed to a Whole30 and exercise (cycling). That first week I was hungry, tired, cranky and kept having nightmares that I had failed. However, I slowly saw progress. My clothes fit better. I became a morning person, the afternoon fog lifted and I felt happier and healthier.

I made it through those thirty days (and the reintroduction period) and I felt amazing. I decided that my Food Freedom included mostly Whole30 inspired meals when I cooked at home with the occasional meal out on weekends or for work and social events.

In January 2018 my partner Tyler and I moved to New Orleans. It was our first time living together and exploring a new city. I was eating out more than my body was used to and I stopped cycling.

In March, I noticed that my clothes were becoming tighter. I told Tyler that we needed to do a Whole30. He is a picky eater and rolls his eyes at healthy eating, but after much prodding, he agreed to do it with me.

He LOVED Whole30! During my second Whole30, I noticed my skin clearing up, my energy levels coming back to what they were before the move and my clothes fitting comfortably again (I started cycling again too, so that’s helped).

Tyler and I are now on the same page in terms of having a better relationship with food, and having a deeper understanding of what we’re putting in our bodies when we cook and eat out. I plan to do at least one Whole30 per year to check in with my body. In between, I am learning to manage my Food Freedom in a way I didn’t know how to do after my first Whole30.