Today’s post is all about dealing with the unknown of life after the Whole30. Curious what to do, how to live, how to eat? Keep reading…

Today we are about to get real… When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, are you giving yourself any room for mistakes and cheats?  Welp… some days you just want to stuff your face with a plate full of buttery buttermilk pancakes. Other days you are content drinking a green smoothie- it’s all about balance right? As you all know, I am currently sliding into the home stretch of the Whole30, and I would be kidding myself if I didn’t admit that I am CRAVING some damn pancakes. I mean legit pancakes loaded with lots of butter, drizzled with a bit of maple syrup- literally I am making my mouth water as I type this, however, I am also thinking of the downside of jumping back into my old eating habits if I dove right into a plate of butter oozing pancakes- feeling like shit!  I must admit you guys, I am feeling a little guilty and almost questioning myself as to WHAT do I do at the end of this Whole30 journey.

Last week I shared with you a few habits that I have picked up along the way, and overall how I was totally feeling. I must admit this past weekend, I almost literally came so freaking close to cheating- like WAY to close to cheating while I was having a girls staycation in Laguna Beach (post coming soon) with a few of my blogging buddies. I mean literally staying at a 5-star resort with two of your bestest, and having SO much good and indulging food as options- makes a girl want to cheat- seriously the struggle was real! So real, that at one point the waiter thought I was nuts when I was asking him a shit ton of questions about- what oil do they use? Can I get this dish- minus sauce, cheese, etc… In all honesty, I almost felt like he felt bad for me because while my girls were enjoying awesome chips and salsa- I was over her eating jicama strips and guacamole- ha, seriously it wasn’t too bad- but the pressure to cheat was massive.  

Trust me, if you are doing the Whole30 right now with me- and you literally are counting down the days to eat something from your previous life- I am with you. Seriously, 100% there with you!

At the end of the day, we are all obsessed with success in some way, shape or form. I am a bit Type A (thank Mom) so for me achieving goals and sticking to them when I set my mind to it- keyword-when– that if I would have cheated on solid New Year’s Resolution this year I would have honestly been super disappointed with myself. Better yet, I feel like I would have almost failed all you out there on this journey with me- especially since so far you all have held me accountable.  I do have to admit it is completely unrealistic to think that I will continue to eat Whole30 forever no matter how great I am feeling or how awesome my workouts have been-  it’s a great feeling to not feel like death after a hard ass workout, right? However, I am thinking I can bring a bit of balance to my old way of life and merge it with my new Whole30 lifestyle.  

So with that, I ask myself this: HOW DO I FIND THAT BALANCE?

In all honesty- and in the bigger picture sense of life- the balance comes from within. It all depends on WHAT you are willing to give up for a healthier lifestyle.  If I am keeping a solid 100 here, a lot of what you are giving up is almost 99% metal. I mean I would be lying by saying “I NEED a Diet Coke” because ultimately while I enjoy Diet Coke and have NOT craved one at all during the past 28 days, my mind tells me to drink on because I want it. Not because I need it- we all can live without Diet Coke– but damn something about an iced cold one tastes so good.  For me giving up Diet Coke is MAJOR yet totally doable, especially when up until two years ago I hadn’t touched soda at all in years.

Someone emailed me the other day and asked me if I was dying without eating chips, bread, soda, and sugar? Weirdly at this point, I thought I would, but honestly, I am NOT dying. Craving certain things, YES. Dying, NO! Think about it: if you are always thinking about what you CAN’T eat but not thinking about the good things you GET to eat- then of course, you are setting yourself up mentally to fail in the future.  I have learned one thing through this process and it is to GET IT TOGETHER both mentally and emotionally when it comes to tackling food, weight, and health.

So yeah, that leaves me with the idea of after the Whole30 that ends in just a few days- I am going to finish up the whole week doing more of a Whole33, and take a day or two to slowly introduce a few things back into my diet. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t going to indulge in that plate of pancakes- because let’s keep it real I am craving and it shall be fulfilled. I am fully prepared to feel like shit and possibly get a bit sick. BUT I figure one cheat meal before rolling back into Whole30 territory isn’t the worst thing I can do, right?

I know for many of you that health and fitness is a New Year’s Resolution, so I want you all to TELL ME what I can do, share, post or write about in order to help you all stay on track and achieve your goal this year of being healthier!  Sharing is caring, and we can all keep each other accountable! Sound good? We got this!!

// In the meantime here is my best advice on WHAT to do in order to stay on track and be healthy- whether you are on the Whole30 or just in general //

• DON’T SET A DEADLINE –  This one was eye-opening for me, because although it takes 21 days to make a new habit- everyone is different.  Instead of setting a deadline to be healthier by, WORK YOUR ASS OFF towards being healthy. Everyone’s finish line is different than the next, just as everyone’s goal whether it be weight loss, heart health, run a marathon, whatever- we are all different. JUST DO YOU!

• BE NICE TO YOURSELF, EVEN IF YOU CHEAT– Seriously at the end of the day if you cheat, you cheat. The world will NOT end nor will life unravel as a whole. Just try not to cheat a lot and make it a habit. For me, that plate of pancakes at the end of the Whole30 is a cheat/reward for sticking to it and making the reset in my life to being and living healthier. Sometimes you need a cheat and THAT IS OKAY!

• DON’T BE AFRAID TO START– This is for everyone out there that is intimidated by the idea of the Whole30. Honestly, I promise you it is not that hard if you don’t allow it to get mental.

• FIND A SOLID SUPPORT SYSTEM–  The key to success is to always have some people to help you assist in your success. Whether it is someone to just complain with when you are craving a cookie, or someone to share awesome recipes with- support is the key to success.

• DEVELOP SOME PERSPECTIVE– Ultimately, you guys- living life each day is a great thing. Living healthy is a struggle but at the end of the day, you get what you put in when it comes to your health. If you are at the gym struggling, remind yourself that those extra cookies before bed or an extra beer or two the night before. In order to feel good, you have to put in some work!

• DON’T BE AFRAID TO START– Now is the time to start. Whether you are doing the Whole30 or just cutting back on bad things like sugar slowly- now is the time. I promise you it almost gets slightly addicting when you are power housing through a workout or fitting into your skinny jeans.  I promise you it gets easier especially with progress. It’s all about the baby steps.

Look at this change as a lifestyle change, not just a diet or a mission to lose weight. I promise you changing your mindset and changing your mental attitude will help A TON!

Leave your thoughts, questions, and inspirations in the comments below. Let me know how you are doing on your New Year’s Resolution on getting healthy? 

In the meantime, make sure you are following along on social media with all of us using hashtag #Whole30Jan. Check out the links below and see how my fellow #Whole30Jan girls did.

• Kristin @ Taz and Belly
• Jaime @ Sunflowers and Stilettos
• Heather @ My Life Well Loved
• Jennifer @ Life In A Greenhouse
• Lindsey @ Life Lutzurious
• Ashley @ Two Peas In A Prada
• Lauren @ Lauren McBride 
• Lauren @ A Lo Profile
• Tessa @ Tessa Lindsey Garcia
• Anna @ Fluerdille
• Kendra @ Citizens of Beauty

To make things even better myself and the #Whole30Jan bloggers decided to throw an AWESOME WHOLE30 giveaway for you all. If you are thinking of starting the Whole30 journey or just want to get healthier in general this giveaway is an excellent way to jump start your mission to healthy.  Make sure you check out their blogs below and enter to win the Rafflecopter giveaway below!

You can use #Whole30Jan on Instagram to find the bloggers I’m teaming up with on this Whole 30 challenge: Life in the Green House , Taz & Belly, Life Lutzurious, Lauren McBride, Sunflowers & Stilettos, Fleurdille, A Lo Profile, Makeup Life & Love, Two Peas in a Prada, Stilettos & Diapers and Citizens of Beauty.

Our giveaway includes:

$75 Whole Foods gift card

Whole30 Book

Case of RX Bars (assorted flavors)

Primal Kitchen Whole30 Pack

Clearly Kombucha

Kasandrinos Olive Oil

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Need Whole30 inspiration? Pin 20 Whole30 Recipes HERE:

Images via 1 // 2 // 3

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