Colette Ramsey didn’t plan on falling in love with clean eating. She just wanted to hit reset after a long year of takeout, stress, and caffeine-fueled mornings. “I felt foggy and out of sync with my body,” she says. “Whole30 seemed like a good way to get back to basics.”
But during her first attempt, Colette quickly realized that prep was everything. Without it, temptation crept in fast. “I’d get home from work, starving, and suddenly that frozen pizza looked a lot better than roasting veggies,” she laughs.
So the second time around, she changed her strategy. Instead of obsessing over the rules, she focused on prepping simple, Whole30-friendly meals ahead of time. Roasted sweet potatoes, grilled chicken, and chopped salad greens became the foundation of her fridge. Sauces like chimichurri or tahini dressing added flavor without fuss.
Colette also made time to plan—not just dinners, but snacks, work lunches, even quick breakfasts for rushed mornings. “I stopped waiting until I was hungry to decide what to eat,” she says. “That alone made a huge difference.”
The result? She not only completed the full 30 days—she felt better than she had in years. “More energy, better sleep, less stress,” she says. “And the best part was, I didn’t feel deprived.”
Now, even outside the program, she keeps many of those habits. “Clean eating doesn’t have to be complicated,” Colette says. “But it does take a little forethought—and it’s totally worth it.”
