So you’ve made a commitment to spend 30 days saying no to grains, dairy, legumes, sugar and alcohol easy right? Well…not so much but trust me it will be worth the effort! Making the decision to get healthy is the easy part, staying motivated can be tough. The purpose of the Whole 30 program is to change your life, so the things you learn in the first 30 days need to be continued after the program and become a part of your daily life. Luckily these days there are so many places to source motivation from that you just need to find the ones that really works for you! Here are a few of the things I did to make it through my first whole 30!

1. Get back in the Kitchen

Cooking is fun…repeat after me cooking is fun! It really is and learning to cook for yourself is the greatest gift you can give you and your family. When you cook your own meals you’ll always know what’s in your food and it’s also much easier to control portion sizes. Regardless of your level of expertise in the kitchen the whole 30 program is based on simple methods of cooking that teach you how to feed yourself properly but don’t take up hours of time. So grab the Whole 30 cookbook and start cooking!

2. Join the food movement

There is a really cool health movement happening on social media and it’s rooted in people helping each other live healthier lives. Why not become a part of this positive change in our universe. How great is it that you can find humans all over the world who can inspire you and who you can inspire with your own journey to be healthy. Nothing is more motivating then knowing you are helping other people. Own your own story and use social media to help keep you committed.

3. Take Selfies

One of the great side effects of the whole 30 program is that your body will change and you will look completely different in 30 days. It may seem a little crazy to stand in front of a mirror and start snapping pictures of yourself but I promise that you will thank yourself that you have these. They will become a reminder of all the work you did to achieve your results. It’s also a great opportunity for you to own what you look like today and be kind to yourself about your body. Always focus on the positive and treat yourself with kindness because you are already beautiful.

4. Treat yourself

Find ways to reward yourself that are not food but that help you feel happy every day. For me it was buying myself a really fancy water bottle, trying different varieties of tea, updating my pantry with fancy salts and oils and picking up some really pretty plates and napkins to make eating dinner feel like a restaurant in my own home. Do whatever it takes to find ways to reward yourself that are not linked to food.

5. Start to get active

Nothing is more motivating than the energy you get from a good workout. I learned on the Whole 30 program that you don’t need to exhaust yourself at the gym to lose weight. Being smarter about your workouts is the trick because you don’t get over tired or too hungry. If you can afford it, hire a trainer at the beginning to set you on the right path. If you can’t afford a trainer buy some fitness magazines and follow the programs they provide. Strength training, walking and yoga are the three exercises I did throughout Whole 30 program and it kept me focused on activities outside of eating that I found joyful!

I hope that you’ll try some of the above tips! If you do give any of them a try let me know how they worked for you!