A strange thing appears to be happening as I near the end of my Whole30. A week ago I thought I’d be counting down the hours until I could eat a piece of dark chocolate, have a scoop of ice-cream, or add stevia to my cold-brew. Instead, I am thinking about doing it for another 30 days with, perhaps, a small modification to allow myself an adult beverage every once in awhile.

I feel great, my skin and my hair look great; I feel more energized and confident than I have in awhile. And I even spent the last two weeks fighting a nasty virus followed by a sinus infection. I somehow managed to stay true to the Whole30 principles and I am really glad I did. While it was initially hard – I cut out dairy, sugar (even of the natural variety like honey, maple sugar, and stevia), gluten (which I had been pretty good about already), and gluten-free store-bought products (which I had probably been enjoying too liberally). This meant no more creamer or sweetener in my coffee (I literally woke up May 31 and started drinking cold-brew black and now I actually enjoy it) and no more sushi (though sashimi was perfectly acceptable and enjoyed more than once). It also meant taking a hard look at labels (something I used to do religiously but had become lax on lately) to better understand what I was buying and using to fuel my body.

When I first mentioned my idea to do a Whole30 to Patrick (the Monday evening before I wanted to start), I think he thought I had lost my marbles. And yet he was hugely supportive. In the first couple of weeks and when I first got sick, he kept me honest (and supported my use of Instacart to order ingredients to make chicken zoodle soup, a recipe recommended by my friend, Shannon) and he never pressured me to eat or drink something I shouldn’t. He’s simply the best. He even joined me for the last couple of weeks!

I’m currently on vacation in Hilton Head with my Mom and Patrick and, at first, was nervous I would be surrounded by temptation to eat things I shouldn’t. But I can honestly say it hasn’t been like that at all; I think what is most noticeable not only to me, but also to those around me, is my lack of cravings. One night after dinner they really wanted ice-cream. Who was I to stop them. I didn’t want to miss out on the outing so I went along. Typically I can’t pass up a scoop of mint chip but that wasn’t the case as we waited in line at Hilton Head Ice Cream Shop.

I have to say I’m pretty proud of my journey over these last 30 days. And I’m excited to stick with it. Sure, I may enjoy a glass of chilled rosé come the Fourth of July, but I don’t intend to overindulge and I certainly intend to do my best to keep sugar, dairy, and gluten out of my body particularly because now I know how much better I feel when I do.

Day 1 | Palmetto Dunes | Atlantic Ocean