I’ve done Whole30 a handful of times, though not for quite a few years at this point (the first time I did it was in 2014!). Every time that I’ve taken on Whole30 I learn something new and feel amazing by the end of it. Some of the times I’ve lost a decent amount of weight, other times I didn’t but I still felt great at day 30.
If you don’t know about Whole30, the quick version is it’s 30 days free of dairy, gluten, alcohol, sugar and legumes.
So after lots of food and alcohol restriction during 9 months of pregnancy, WHY would I want to take on another Whole30? Aren’t most people so excited to drink wine and eat all of the forbidden cheese?
Why do Whole30 Post-Pregnancy
Even though there are a lot of things you can’t eat and drink durning pregnancy, I didn’t feel too restricted. Yes, there were times a glass of wine sounded really good, but overall I felt like I could eat much more freely than I had in years. I followed an intuitive style of eating (I wrote all about it HERE). I had a great pregnancy, feeling pretty good most of the time and even enjoying life with the huge baby bump.
And now Millie is here! The baby bump is gone. But my body is not what it once was. The idea of bouncing back isn’t reality. I know my body is strong and has done some amazing things. I’m proud of it. But I’m also not super happy with it. Everything feels soft, which is totally fine and normal! While I know that, I also want to feel better about the way I look and though I don’t think my body will go back to the way it was pre-baby, I do want it to get closer to that.
How I’m Feeling about my Postpartum Body
It’s hard to verbalize the way I feel about this. I’ve spoken to other new moms and I’m not alone. It’s a mix of loving my body for providing a home for a baby and now nourishing that baby. But also wanting my body to feel strong and somewhat similar to what I knew it to be. I am not doing a “diet” because I hate my body and want to lose 20 pounds. At the same time, I would be lying if I said I loved the extra weight I’m carrying around (which for the record, is about 15 pounds).
All of that is to say, I am doing Whole30 because I want to. I’m not doing it because I feel pressure to lose the baby weight quickly or to show people that I can “bounce back.” Society does impose that on women but I am doing my best to ignore that.
My eating habits have gotten a little out of wack from pregnancy and the months that followed. With a new baby I was eating whatever I could quickly get my hands on (which if I’m being honest, often was pizza). I’ve been ignoring the cues and messages from my body of what makes me feel my best.
Why I Chose Whole30
From past experiences, Whole30 brings me back to a place of respecting my body. I focus on food as fuel that makes me feel good and energized (FYI, motherhood is exhausting).
I also chose Whole30 because I think it’s easy. I’m not saying that it’s a walk in the park and I know for people who are doing it for the first time it can be super challenging. But once you get the hang of it and know what foods you can eat, it is actually quite simple (in my experience).
Other styles of eating require weighing foods, calorie counting, macro counting, etc etc. I’ve thought about macro counting and am intrigued by it. I just do not have the energy to be weighing my food right now. With Whole30 I know what I can eat and that’s that. At the heart of it, it’s pretty simple!
I would define healthy for myself as eating right and working out. Right now working out is hard to fit in. I know I could do better at this. To be fully transparent, it’s not my priority (which is shocking for me to admit). I find it easier to focus on eating right in this season of my life. Making it to the gym at 6am is not working for me. I hope to get back into a steady fitness routine, but for now I’m putting my focus on nutrition to reach my goals.
Moms should not feel pressure to lose the baby weight (by a certain time, or ever if thats what they want!). I think we should do what makes us feel good. For me, I’d love to lose a few pounds, be energized, and be happy with the way my body feels.
So there you have it, that’s why I’m doing Whole30 (again!).
Currently I’m just beyond the halfway mark and feeling really good. I’m going to do a post at the end to share the overall experience. I am also going to do a post about Whole30 while breastfeeding. If you have any questions, please comment below and I’ll do my best to answer them!
