Whole 30: Week 1

My Motivation

If you read blogs or have an Instagram account, I'm sure you've heard about the Whole 30 program that everyone and their dog seems to be doing. (No joke, I know someone who made their dog do the Whole 30 program, haha.) I'd scroll past each blog post or Instagram photo with zero interest because it looked like it took too much work to make the approved foods, or maybe I was just in denial with how bad my eating habits were. Until recently, I'd never turn down a treat or I'd eat seconds at dinner, rice/pasta/bread became a staple at meals, and I definitely wasn't getting enough fruits and veggies. I'd been feeling sluggish the last few months, my face seemed to be breaking out more than normal, and my pants started fitting a bit tighter than I'd want them to. ;)

What is Whole 30?

If you don't know anything about Whole 30, here's the gist of it:
No sugar, no dairy, no grains and no legumes for 30 days. This is the list of approved foods.

My Goal

My main motivation for looking into the Whole 30 program was getting my energy back and clearing up my face. I plan on eating fruits, veggies, protein, and healthy fats throughout the month of March and then reintroducing dairy, grains, and legumes back into my diet one by one. I'm curious as to whether or not any of those "forbidden" foods are breaking me out.

What I've Been Eating/Doing This Week

I've been using My Fitness Pal every day to log what I eat and keep track of my steps. I've made a conscious effort to get my 10,000 steps in every day (a breeze on days I work, but much harder for me on the weekend), and I kept myself busy when cravings hit so I didn't think about all of the sugary treats I can't eat. I've been drinking more than half my body weight in ounces of water and it's become a game to me to see how many fruits and veggies I can get in each day. I gathered a few recipes to try and I really loved this recipe, this recipe, and this recipe.

 ^^Chicken sausage, sweet potato, & broccoli. 2 fried eggs, 1/2 grapefruit, 2 slices of bacon, & 1/2 a pear. Asparagus, cantaloupe, and seasoned chicken.^^

^^Pear, grapes, & coconut chips. Homemade vinaigrette, salad, strawberries, mango, seasoned chicken. Spinach with mango salsa on top & tuna salad (tuna, 1/2 apple, green onion).^^

Results From Week 1

Day 1 was a breeze. I was excited to start making new recipes and spent a lot of the day prepping food for the coming days. Day 2 and 3 were rough as I dealt with headaches and no energy from the sugar detox. I found that I was getting really hungry an hour or two before dinner and bedtime those days, so I started adding more protein to my lunches and dinners. Also, I couldn't stop thinking about sugar and all I wanted was a giant slice of chocolate cake. Days 4-7 were so much easier! I found that I was thinking about sugar less and less and that I started to crave a big bag of carrots or an apple. I noticed around day 5 that I had tons of energy and wasn't crashing around bedtime. I lost 5 pounds last week but I don't yet notice a difference in how my pants fit.

Tips & Tricks

Food prep! I found that if I make food ahead of time, I'm more likely to eat right. Sunday night I made a big batch of pico de gallo and a batch of mango salsa, cut up fruits and veggies, and made chicken for my lunches throughout the week. Labeling the tupperware with masking tape kept me organized.

If you're going to a group function and know that there will be dessert, take your own! I went to a girls' night last week and knew that they'd be having ice cream, so instead of sitting out and watching everyone eat, I prepared a tupperware of grapes, pear, and coconut chips. It was delicious!

Buy a giant waterbottle and tote it with you around the house/to work/in the car/to church. I bought a 32 ounce water jug that goes everywhere with me.

Find a Whole 30 approved food that you love but don't normally eat a whole lot of and make that your treat. Even though I love pears, I don't normally buy them so they've made the perfect treat.

Throw a bag of jerky or an apple in your purse/bag each day as you head out the door. There's nothing worse than being away from home and realizing you're starving with only junk food around. It happened to me at work while I still had 2 hours to go. Needless to say, I was hangry by the time I got home. ;)

Goals For the Upcoming Week

Lift weights with Ben 3 times this week and get 10,000 steps in each day (especially Saturday and Sunday)!

Are you doing Whole 30, or have you before? Any recipes you love?