Whole30 for Rosacea & PCOS

Hello. My name is Kristin and I’m a sugar addict…

Full Disclosure: I took this picture back in March during my first attempt at Whole30…

I’m also currently on Day 7 of the Whole30 challenge.

I love pastry, pie, dark chocolate, and a gratuitous amount of coffee creamer in my morning cup of jo. I’ve never once questioned these dietary choices, because I’ve always been athletic, a healthy weight, and tended to pair my indulgences with “healthy” food options.

So why am I doing a complete 180 and ditching all the foods I love in favor of a trendy diet? For pretty much the same reasons as most people who find their way to the Whole30 community: I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Why I Chose to Start Whole30

If you’re more interested in just reading how I got started and prepped for Whole30, skip this section. Otherwise, I’d love to share my journey with you.

Behind this smiling face is a ball of insecurity. My Rosacea was starting to flare up and I was struggling to conceive our second son Ethan.

I’m what you would call “skinny fat.” I look healthy on the outside, but on the inside I’m far from it. I suffer from IBS, Leaky Gut Syndrome, Rosacea, constant cystic acne breakouts, and I have a hormonal imbalance (polycystic ovarian syndrome) which causes fertility and menstruation issues. There are a host of other less severe (but still annoying) symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, and a general feeling of burn-out which plague me too.

I’ve seen numerous doctors over the last couple of years, taken various medications to help ease my discomfort, and tried to eat healthy and stay active as much as possible. But instead of getting better, I’ve only gotten worse.

This last year (2017) was the final straw when I developed prenatal depression while pregnant with my second child. I didn’t get out of bed for over a month. My toddler and the television became best friends, and I was constantly battling severe stomach pain and mood swings which started driving a wedge between me and my husband. It frustrated me so much that I wasn’t acting like the person I desperately knew I was: loving wife and mom, girl who’s happy with life and wants to experience it.

Then I found out about the Whole30 challenge.

Initially, I didn’t do much research. I took at face value the principles behind the program – eat whole foods, cut out added sugar and processed food, cook most meals at home – and tried to implement lifestyle changes based off of the little information I had. And it helped a little bit. I stopped eating so much bread and instead opted for oatmeal or rice. I noticed my mood improved and my skin got a little clearer. But I still had gut issues and the occasional breakout from my Rosacea.

After the birth of my son in January 2018, my hormones went crazy and a lot of my anxiety, depression, fatigue, and skin issues started coming back. Coincidentally, I was also eating more processed food again.

Which brings me to today.

I’ve come back to the Whole30, but this time I’m committing to the challenge 100%. No more guessing and leisurely trying to make lifestyle changes. I’ve done my research, planned my 30 days, and will be recording my success (and failures) here on the blog.

Getting Started with Whole30

Proof that diets can be delicious. Bone in pork shoulder seared and roasted for few hours…

Step One: Choose Your Start Date

I ended up choosing Aug. 31 to start my Whole30 challenge. There is no strategy or logic behind this date, it was just the day I decided “eff it. I’m doing this.”

The book, however, suggests looking at your calendar and picking a relatively calm month – no birthdays, anniversaries, or other special occasions – to get started. The idea is that you want as little temptation to “cheat” as possible.

Step Two: Build Your Support Team

I’ve told a few friends I’m attempting this challenge, but my main source of accountability will be this blog.

Side note: I’m reading a book called The Four Tendencies  which describes how people are motivated to accomplish personal goals. I took the quiz associated with the book and learned I’m an “obliger” which means I only follow through with resolutions or commitments (to myself or others) if it’s expected of me. If I don’t have a boss, coworker, family member, or friend expecting me to do something, chances are I won’t do it.

There are other tendencies – rebel, questioner, upholder – so if you’re curious which one you are, take the quiz and let me know in the comments where you fall!

Step Three: Get Your House Ready

Now, the book suggests throwing out all of your junk food, but I live with a toddler and a husband who are definitely NOT interested in doing this challenge with me. So, I’ve focused mainly on prepping my house by “quarantining” all junk food to a special place in my pantry.

I’ve also done a little bit of meal planning and put together a grocery list of everything I’ll need each week. If you’re curious about what a grocery haul for the Whole30 challenge looks like, you can check out this video I made.

Step Four: Plan for Success

This was the step that messed me up the first time I tried Whole30. I didn’t plan for success. I assumed I could just “wing it” and everything would work out. WRONG.

The book suggests writing out every potential stressful, difficult, or complicated situation you may encounter in Whole30 and then come up with a game plan for how you’ll handle it. I didn’t do that when I first tried Whole30…

But honestly, I did make a list this time around and I still cheated on day five by drinking a margarita *hides face shamefully.*

However, I’m not going to restart from day one like the book suggests. Instead, I’m just going to keep pressing forward and not let it hold me back. If I can be real with you, I’m just too busy to keep doing this challenge for more than 30 days…

Step Five: Toss that Scale!

This is my FAVORITE step. I hate diets that make you track numbers, whether it’s calories or weight. The point of a diet is to eat in a healthy, balanced way. When we start focusing on too many external factors it can sometimes undermine our good intentions – or worse, it could cause disordered eating.

When it comes to weight, there is a very broad range of what is considered normal. A scale can’t account for things like bone density, muscle mass, or water weight in relation to height etc. So your caloric needs and weight may not match up with what is considered “normal” by most dietary guidelines.

If you are really concerned about weight, my advice would be to work with a doctor or personal trainer to help define your exact needs and then work with you to achieve them.

And that’s it! Those are the five steps to getting started with Whole30. I also highly recommend either purchasing the book or renting it from your local library. There is a lot of good information about why you are eliminating certain foods as well as tools to help you be successful.

If you have any questions about Whole30 or have tried the challenge before, let me know in the comments below!