How I Lost 16 Pounds in 30 Days
16 pounds in 30 days sounds totally crazy, I know. Before you think I did anything weird–let me assure you that I have no gimmicks or scary tricks—I never had to go hungry or eat anything weird. I counted no calories. I’m also a little ashamed to say I didn’t really work out either. Oops.
I also want to preface this by saying I have had some big issues with weight over the past few years. I have been dealing with major thyroid and adrenal issues including an autoimmune hypothyroid disorder called Hashimotos. To put it succinctly, my doctors couldn’t find a medical explanation or reason as to why I had gained weight over the past 3 years. I was eating fairly healthy, had gone gluten free and was eating between 1200-1400 calories daily. My doctor finally shrugged and said, “weight loss might just be impossible for you”. Talk about a blow to the gut (literally/emotionally!)
You can see in the after photo below I have lost a lot of inflammation and redness as well. My eyes are so much brighter!
So, as someone that was deemed medically unable to lose weight, it was nothing short of incredible to see a minus 16 (16.8 to be exact) on that scale! Not only did I lose weight, I have seen a massive reduction in thyroid symptoms that I have been struggling with for years. YEARS, you all.
I know you’re dying to know what I did. It’s so simple.
I did Whole30.
You guys, it’s amazing! All I did was change my diet and in 30 days my entire life was changed! Whole30 with hashimotos totally works!
If you don’t know what Whole30 is, you can read more about it here on their website. It’s basically a 30 day challenge where you only eat real food—veggies, meats, fruits, healthy fats, nuts. No sugar, no gluten, no grains, no alcohol, no dairy, etc. It sounds hard, but it was actually so much easier than I thought because the food was so good and I felt so much better!
Thankfully, Scott did Whole30 with me as well and lost 13 pounds! It made it so much easier to have someone to be accountable to and encourage. I was worried that Whole30 with Hashimotos wouldn’t yield me results, but he was my rock! I plan on writing a whole separate post soon with what made Whole30 easier for me, but I will say that the two books written by the Whole30 founders, The Whole30 and It Starts With Food were invaluable to me. If I had to pick one, I would say The Whole30 was my favorite—it had the plan and delicious recipes with gorgeous recipes. It Starts With Food was more about the science and the why of everything. Also, this was the must-have kitchen appliance for me…I seriously wouldn’t tackle Whole30 without an InstantPot! It allowed me to have dinners prepped and ready in 30 minutes or less including entire organic chickens or homemade stew.
So, every day I’d get to eat delicious combos like sweet potatoes stuffed with buffalo chicken and broccoli or butternut squash noodles with bacon. Yum. And as the days went on I felt better and better. Total win/win.
I actually “finished” Whole30 five days ago, but have no plans to return to my old way of eating. Scott feels the same way—we have a big trip coming up in December that we want to look and feel our best for, but even besides that I don’t think we’ll ever go back to “regular” eating again.
I don’t want to sound dramatic, but Whole30 has changed my life. I’m a total believer in the power of food. Whole30 didn’t just help me lose weight or feel better, it actually gave me hope. For that, I’ll be forever grateful.
PS- About my naysaying doctor? Fired. Fired and replaced by another doctor who is confident in my success. Go figure. 🙂
Want more Whole30 info? Check out my post on my Whole30 must-haves!
Tania Griffis is an accomplished writer, blogger, and interior designer with a Journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma. She started her popular blog, Run to Radiance, in 2011, demonstrating her design expertise through the personal remodeling of six houses to millions of readers across the globe.
Tania also owns The Creative Wheelhouse, a respected ghostwriting agency for bloggers, further showcasing her talent for creating engaging and informative content.
I congratulate you on your success. You look great!
So proud of both of you for commitment to being healthy. Beautiful before, during, and after…inside and out
I am so glad that Whole 30 worked for you!!! You both had amazing results. I totally believe in Whole 30 and did it back in January of this year and lost 10 pounds. I plan to do it again this coming January after I have my baby girl in December to jump start my post partum weight loss!
Congrats to you!!!! That’s awesome
So happy for your health successes!!! Very inspiring story! Our bodies are our temples, so it is so vital we take care of them and carefully decide what goes in. Congrats again!!!! <3 <3
Congratulations, Tania you are looking great. I am truly happy to see your beautiful face is even more beautiful . Looking forward to your next Whole30 article.
That’s awesome Tania, congratulations to you and your hubby! I actually bought the Whole30 book awhile ago but haven’t done it yet.
Tania
I also have done whole30 with a thyroid condition and it was extremely successful. I recommend you find a nutritionist to work with you going forward. Mine has been invaluable in helping determine my food sensitivities and helping me heal from the inside. Also, look into the Autoimmune Protocol…I’ve heard it helps greatly with hashimotos. Congrats on your success!
I am so glad you found something that worked and that you are feeling so much better. You look absolutely radiant 🙂 xo
Congrats Tania! I have struggled over the past five years as well -and tried the whole 30 in June. It was amazing but I didn’t keep it up long term because I went to visit my friend in Switzerland for a month and the bread and cheese and wine got me:( eek! Sounds like it’s time for me to revisit it!
This is so encouraging! Your story sounds exactly like mine, three years now of continuous weight gain despite trying ALL the diets AND work out routines. The weight is just stuck. And it’s a lot of weight. Fifty pounds to be exact. I did a Whole30 a couple months ago and lost about 10 pounds in the first two weeks (I know, I cheated and got on the scale). But then almost nothing the second two weeks which was really depressing. This post may be my motivation to try it again!
Congrats!! Good for you. Way to take control of your diet and help yourself feel your best. That’s awesome. 🙂
This author did an incredible job, reading it is just the beginning of an incredible healthy life! This article is loaded with information regarding the correct nutrition.