I’m one-third through with this, my third Whole30, and so far, so good.

There’s something comforting and reassuring about having done this before. There aren’t surprises. I know to expect a few days of feeling a bit tired and some headaches. I had a workout last week that was beyond pathetic – 10 minutes in, I desperately wanted to take a nap. The last 10 minutes were even worse. I’m not sure my legs were actually moving.

This one’s a little bit different, though, because I’ve always gone into Whole30′s having been eating a pretty solid paleo diet already. I’ve never had to deal with as much of the hard days as I have this time, I’ve also never seen results quite so quickly (and I’m counting that as a positive). This time,  I was coming off what could probably be considered a fairly standard diet thanks to too many bad decisions during the holidays.

I’ve never been tempted to weigh or measure before during a Whole30, but I’m fighting it big time. I know the bloat in my waist area is significantly less and my jeans are already getting loose, but there’s a danger in looking at a Whole30 first and foremost as a weight loss thing. I know most people lose weight, and a good amount if they have it to lose, but to me that’s just a side effect of the real purpose: The inflammation and pain I was dealing with just 12 days ago is pretty much gone. My hips, knees and ankles were sounding like a bowl of Rice Krispies for the past few weeks, and that’s all just about stopped. My left hip, which was sort of freezing and getting stuck in the joint, isn’t doing that anymore. I’m settling in to better sleep and I’m not as much of an emotional mess as I was in December.

So sure, I was a little headache-y and moody for a few days, but it’s been well worth it.

And I do feel it’s important to note that my Whole30 isn’t all grass-fed meat and organic produce. It’s simply not in our budget right now, but that doesn’t mean that I’m still not seeing huge benefits. I do buy what I can and I focus on getting the best quality fats I can, but I’ve come to see that even imperfect paleo and a “my very best” Whole30 is so much better than the standard American diet. Don’t let budget hold you back!

As of today, my plan is to get my numbers on day 30, and then continue straight through to a Whole60. I’ve seen great results both times I’ve done this in the past, but I really want to cement some of these habits a little more.

How is your Whole30 treating you?