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Kate's Whole Life

Health + Wellness

My Journey to Food Freedom

January 30, 2018

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You’re finished with the 30 days of Whole30 and you’re wondering should I really do introductions?

Meh, you’re thinking you probably don’t need them because you already know that (insert food group) upsets you so you’re just going to avoid it.

YES, yes you do need them.

Lemme tell you about my first Whole30 in March of 2014… well, Whole29. I made it 29 days (after starting over on day 5 because I couldn’t resist french fries) and a friend came into town for his birthday. Without a second thought, I popped open a bottle of wine, poured myself a glass and gulped it down. I specifically remember texting my friend I was doing Whole30 with and saying I’m done, day 29 is just as good as day 30. Except it’s not. I would be so upset if a client sent me that today because I know how not true that is. I also didn’t do reintroductions. Guess what that Whole29 did for me? Made me eat healthy for 29 days, and that’s it.

Skip to my next (really first) Whole30. I made it through the 30 days, skipped reintroductions. Did pretty well with my eating for a month after Whole30 and was back off the wagon.

Finally, I decided that I needed to do Whole30 the correct way. I read the books, I stuck with it for 30 days, I did all of my reintroductions and I found out that I should limit gluten and diary because they both made me feel less than awesome (an understatement). I was rocking my food freedom. I did Whole30 the way it was written, with 100% commitment to everything the rules say and I was set up for success for my food freedom. This my friends, is why Melissa always says, finish your 30 days, no slip-ups, and do your reintroductions. It’s the only way it’s been tested to work!

I wish I could say after that Whole30 I never, ever fell of the wagon again… but I did. And it happens! The difference this time was that I didn’t let myself get into a cycle of thinking “I ate unhealthy today so I’ll just keep eating unhealthy until Monday when I will start eating healthy again”. I would fall off (when I say fall off, I mean binging or eating something I didn’t really want, not eating something that I deemed worth it) and then get right back on at the next meal. This was one of the most dramatic changes I had from Whole30. I was always the “I’m just going to start over on Monday” person. Instead, when I ate healthy at the next meal, I thought a lot about WHY I was falling off the wagon again and again… because Whole30 teaches you to be mindful of what you’re eating.

Fast forward to December 2016, after completing a couple more Whole30s, I was still occasionally binging and getting sick from things like pop-tarts  (which by the way, are def not worth it). I felt out of control when eating gluten most of the time (like eating an entire basket of bread at restaurants) and it was making me really sick, but when you feel out of control with something, it’s hard to stop even when it does make you feel terrible.  After reading Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin, I realized that I was an abstainer and did better just cutting things out vs. trying to moderate, so I tried it with gluten. After a couple of weeks, I felt like a whole new person. I was consistently eating healthier, I wasn’t binging at all, and my stomach problems were almost completely gone.

After a few months of being gluten-free, I knew that being gluten-free was the only way to avoid feeling sick and binging, so I committed to it 100%. I haven’t had any gluten since December 2016 and I don’t miss it at all.

Another way I maintain my food freedom is only keeping Paleo food in my house. I don’t eat Paleo 100% of the time. Actually, since going gluten free, my gut has healed enough that I can tolerate small amounts of dairy,  even ice cream, but since I know I’m not a moderator, I don’t keep it in my house. If I want ice cream, I will eat it when I’m out. If I want a gluten-free brownie, I will buy one at a bakery that I like instead of making an entire pan of my own. When I made the switch to a gluten-free life, I never got into the habit of buying bread, cookies, crackers, etc. so I made a conscious effort to not start that habit. I am also still very cognizant of the ingredients I am putting into my body, not to the point of obsession, but I do my best on knowing checking ingredients. Just because it’s gluten-free does not mean it gets the green light.

After living like this for a year, I have become a lot more of a moderator. Right now, I have a gluten-free cookie and brownie in my fridge from a bakery in Philly, and I haven’t wanted to eat them yet – so I haven’t. Honestly, I forgot about them most of today, which is one of my biggest non-scale victories yet. In the past, I would obsess over them. I would be thinking about how I couldn’t wait to eat them even though I didn’t even really want them. Now, I just don’t eat them because I simply don’t want them yet.

Although I have these in my house, I generally do not keep sweets or “healthier junk food” in my house. Why? Because if I don’t have these things in my house, it takes the willpower out of the equation. When I’m tired or stressed, it’s easier for me to just not have the option of binging on some sweets/chips in hopes of feeling better. It’s forced me to learn other ways to deal with my emotions.

Personally, Whole30 was the very first step in my health journey, but if I stopped at Whole30, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I had to work through a lot of emotional trauma, anxiety, and give up a little bit of control around my food before I really found food freedom. If you are stuck in the “Whole30” cycle, I suggest you stop doing Whole30 and find out the root cause of what’s causing your binging, sugar addiction, etc. I can honestly say that therapy is the best thing I did for my food freedom.

Everyones Food Freedom journey looks different. Mine wouldn’t necessarily work for you, and yours might not work for me. That’s the beauty of Food Freedom. It’s yours.

Have you found your food freedom or are you still struggling to find the sweet spot? Would love to hear about it!

 

7 Comments in Nutrition

« Gluten-free + Dairy-free guide to NYC
Moderator or Abstainer? »

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Comments

  1. Kate says

    June 6, 2018 at 2:25 pm

    Your first Whole30 was exactly my experience! Just started my second one and I’m on day 3, fully committed and ready to do the reintroduction this time! I needed this read! Thank you

    Reply
    • Kate says

      June 6, 2018 at 5:57 pm

      So glad this was helpful for you!! Good luck with your reintroduction, you can do it!

      Reply
  2. Marlies says

    June 6, 2018 at 4:35 pm

    Holy crap! This is exactly how my first 2 whole30 went down! I am on my third whole30, day 3, now and I think I have to do the same as you. Just cut it out completely because I also have trouble moderation and only have it ones in awhile while eating out. Thank you for this 😊

    Reply
    • Kate says

      June 6, 2018 at 6:00 pm

      So glad this was helpful for you! Some things are easier just to cut out for good, but the more you explore this the more you’ll figure out what’s worth it and what’s not. Good luck with your Whole30 + reintroduction!!

      Reply
  3. Lisa says

    June 6, 2018 at 6:34 pm

    I just finished my first whole30 and I can’t believe I Great I feel. I am an organic produce buyer so I was able to incorporate so many beautiful veggies into my meals. I did whole30 because I was having indigestion issues sometimes. I have tried reintroducing some grains I found sprouted bread is okay but oatmeal didn’t settle right. My next step is a bit of dairy. This program has helped me mentally and physically. I am now so much more aware of what I want to put in my mouth than ever. I am still learning food freedom but trying to figure out the balance daily.Thank you for your post.

    Lisa

    Reply
    • Kate says

      June 7, 2018 at 7:46 pm

      So glad that Whole30 has been so life changing for you! I love hearing success stories 🙂 You will figure out your food freedom, it just takes some time, patience and a lot of discipline up front! Good luck with the rest of your reintroductions and your food freedom journey! You got this! 🙂

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Kate, a DC girl passionate about all things health + wellness. I'm current a graduate student pursuing my degree in integrative nutrition at Maryland University of Integrative Health. When I'm not studying, I'm globetrotting, working out, and helping people live their healthiest life.

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I absolutely love the holidays, but being around so many people and family is super overwhelming for me. Yes, even for this extroverted type 7!
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Every time I leave family time I feel so ready to relax and disconnect in a quiet space. Insert @getawayhouse. This place is literally the most relaxing place I’ve ever been to in my life. Disconnecting from the world without a phone or computer and reconnecting with nature is the absolute best reset and so, so good for my mental health.
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For cyber Monday, @getaway is offering a deal that  gets you a huge discount! RECHARGE25 will get you 25% off your 2019 Getaway or RECHARGE20 for 20% off your 2020 escape. 🙌🏼 If you want to read more about my experience with getaway check out my blog @ kateswholelife.com 🖤

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Oh, hi!
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This is my first ever lacto-fermentation project that I did at school this weekend & to say that I’m excited to ferment more is an understatement. I’ll be sharing the ups and downs of my fermenting adventures with you guys so stay tuned!
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One thing that I think is commonly overlooked in the health space is the importance of having healthy relationships. Studies show that social connections are imperative to achieving optimal health. People who feel more connected to others have lower levels of depression, anxiety, and are overall healthier people.
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When I was off instagram, I made it a point to make more social connections outside of my little health bubble. I focused a lot more on the quality of relationships than I did on every ingredient I was putting in my body, the amount of supplements I needed to take per day, my adaptogens, etc. and honestly, I’ve never felt better.
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That’s not to say the other things aren’t important, because they 100% are! I still eat mostly organic, take my supplements, get 8 hours of sleep, and really care about the quality of food I eat most days, but sometimes I eat nachos at a bar with friends and stay out way too late. It’s not about finding perfection in one area of health, it’s about aiming for balance to help you feel your best. 🖤🖤 #wellnesswithkate🌿 #moresociallessmedia

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It’s been a while since I’ve been on here so figured I would introduce myself again!
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I’m Kate + I originally started this account to share about nutrition, but it’s evolved into so much more. About 2 1/2 years ago, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in nutrition and separate from the Air Force after 7 years. Crazy, right? A little over a year ago I finally make the leap and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Currently, I’m in a masters program at @muihealth and working towards my Masters in Integrative Nutrition.
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I’ve struggled with Generalized Anxiety Disorder most of my life and up until the last 2 years, it ran my life. Recently, I haven’t had any symptoms because I’ve been putting in the work daily to feel better. I share about GAD a lot on this page because 1) I hope that it makes people feel less alone and 2) I hope some of the things I share help people find some relief.
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Finally, I’ve learned a lot in my program and researching on my own the dangers of some everyday toxins in things like cleaning products, makeup, etc. I talk about this on here because it’s an integral part of health. I know there is a lot of skepticism surrounding the way toxins can affect your health so I try to share the science as well as give product recommendations from companies I trust.
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Right now I’m not posting often because I am easing my way back into this space after a break, maybe that’ll change eventually.
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I’m glad you’re here and love connecting with people so reach out anytime. 🖤🖤

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Hi! I’m back!
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On one hand, I am super excited to be back, I missed connecting with y’all. On the other hand, I am a little nervous to be back because my mental health has been amazing being away from this space.
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Instagram can be such a good place to connect, but it can also take you away from reality. I left Instagram for a couple of reasons. First, I spent so much time thinking, talking, breathing health & wellness that my life revolved around it. I started realizing it a while ago when I posted about struggling with orthorexia, but I didn’t realize that it was still prevalent until I stepped away from this space and started being social outside of my little health and wellness bubble. More on this later.
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I also left because I felt like I was constantly comparing my content to other peoples content and never felt like anything I wanted to put out was good enough. I always thought, “someone else is putting content out there that I think is better so what’s the point?” Funny thing is, if we all thought that way then no one would be posting. When I initially started I said if anything I post helps one person it’ll all be worth it - and that’s what I promised myself to focus on moving forward. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I will definitely be expanding more on this soon - & still posting about all things health & wellness with the aim at helping people incorporate it in a balanced way 🖤🖤🖤

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Beautiful views for days.
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I did manage to make it through the day without any panic attacks thanks to EMDR and some other techniques I learned in therapy.  I did the hikes at my own pace, took breaks when I felt panic and made sure I stayed hydrated because dehydration in itself can cause a panic attack.
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Have you ever experienced agoraphobia or panic disorder and if so, how do you manage it? Would love to hear! | #anxietyrecoverywithkate🖤  #travelwithkate🛫

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