Here's Why You Should Prep for Whole30 Now
It's not as crazy as it sounds.
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January 1st isn’t going to be just the first day of 2019 for me. It’s going to be the first day of Whole30! Like many, I’m planning to eliminate sugar, dairy, grains, legumes and alcohol from my diet for 30 days. It may seem daunting (no cheese! pasta! wine!), but I truly felt incredible after a few weeks and was inspired to carry the lessons into my day-to-day cooking. After 30 days, my biggest tip for success in the future is be prepared!
I’m a huge meal prepper in my everyday life, but prepping for Whole30 takes it to another level. I’ve learned from others that thinking ahead in their recipe planning, shopping and cooking has majorly helped them, too. Whether this is your first of twentieth round of Whole30, here are few reasons I think prepping is a must.
You can try brand-new recipes! Whole30 pushes you outside your comfort-zone rotation of recipes. You’ll be surprised, too, how some recipes just *happen* to be Whole30, even if you didn’t realize it! Need inspiration? Scroll through Food Network recipes, find new favorite bloggers to follow and save ideas on Instagram and Pinterest.
You can always look forward to the next meal. I vividly remember feeling SO HUNGRY the first week of Whole30. The focus on eating three meals a day without snacking was a big change for me! It took me a while to get into the pattern, but one thing that kept me from going rogue was knowing that I had a fantastic dish from a new recipe waiting for me for every meal.
You won’t feel the temptation. Not sure about you, but for me, working at the Food Network with treats and dishes all over the office was a constant invitation for getting off-course. When I had meals and snacks prepared, I was always WAY less likely to nibble and could fall back on my pre-made dishes.
You’ll snack less! Speaking of snacks… It’s easy to rely on those “crutch” foods when you’re hungry – Whole30-approved snack bars, almond butter, you know the drill – but if you’re prepping meals that you love and you know will fill you up, you’ll be less likely to swerve off the path!
You can still be social! The point of Whole30 is not to live in a cave for 30 days and never enjoy company with friends. Being prepared with your own Whole30-compliant food and drinks (or adjusting your schedule to go somewhere after you’ve eaten) will allow you to feel like your old self, just with a new eating style!
You’ll save … big time! Not drinking or eating out as much helped me save so much money during the course of 30 days. It’s so easy to get into a habit of buying lunches daily or ordering dinner on-the-go. Whole30 really helps you re-evaluate that be smart about your orders!
You’ll feel inspired to add an extra 15. One thing that is not talked about too often is the reincorporation phase. The Whole30 program recommends taking 15 additional days of slowly adding each category of food back into your diet. When you’re in a groove from the 30 days, it’s worth it to take the few extra days to see how your body reacts to sugar, dairy, grains, legumes and alcohol again.
You can find a community! Being prepared isn’t just about the food. Surround yourself with people who will rally around you during the 30 days. It makes such a difference! Find Facebook groups, start a text thread with friends or add your Whole30 buddy to speed dial so you can chat with them whenever. (You know, like when there’s a box of doughnuts staring at you at work one morning!) You can always shoot me a message on Instagram – I’m here to be your cheerleader.
Instead of waiting to get into a groove of weekly meal prep, grocery shopping and strategic snacking until a week or two into the 30 days, start now! Get your head in the game early so that in between Christmas and New Year’s, you can get everything together to hit the ground running on January 1. It’s going to be good! Trust me.
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